A Summer With You
by JKkick123
Summary: Kim Crawford goes on a summer vacation to a coastal city in North Carolina to see her 19 year old cousin. While there, she meets a cute boy named Jack. Jack and Kim born think love is overrated and never lasts. Neither one wants to fall in love. Will the two fall for each other? What will they do when summer ends and Kim leaves?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! This is the first chapter and it'll just be an introduction. The plot hasn't really begun yet. Here's some background information on Kim and her family that'll help with understanding the story! Enjoy! :)**

My name is Kim Crawford. I live in San Francisco, California. My life has never been quiet. I have 3 brothers and I live in the loudest, busiest part of the city. I'm 18 years old and I just graduated from high school. I plan on going to the University of Southern California in the fall.

My high school experience wasn't the greatest. I didn't go to many parties and I wasn't popular. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't one of those weirdos. I had a fairly large group of friends. Sometimes if the weather was nice, we would drive to the beach and spend the weekend there. We didn't get to go often, since the beach is so far away, but it was actually one of my favorite things to do.

I don't know what it is about the beach that fascinates me. Whenever I have a problem that's really bothering me, it always seems like the beach is the only way to escape it. I don't know whether its the crashing waves, the cool breeze, of the warm feeling of the sun, I just love it so much.

My high school life was spent with my friends most of the time. I never had a boyfriend. I wasn't ugly or weird or anything like that. Not to sound conceited or anything, but a lot of boys considered me attractive. Some boys asked me out, but I always declined. It might sound weird, but I don't want to find love. Maybe once I graduated from college, but I honestly don't see what's so great about it. It seems like people always end up getting hurt. I don't want to fall in love and I don't think I ever will.

I'm not very close with my family. It always seems like everything my parents do is more important than me. The only family member I'm actually close to is my cousin Megan, and she lives in North Carolina. Megan and I are best friends. We text everyday, video chat almost every night, and she makes annual visits to San Francisco to see me.

Speaking of Megan, I was actually going to visit her this summer. It was my last summer before I started college, and I wanted to spend it with the person I was closest to. It's the first week of June, and I would be flying to Southport, North Carolina in one week. I would be spending the entire summer with her. It's the first week of June, and I would be flying to Southport, North Carolina in one week.

**There's chapter 1! I hope you all liked it! I'm aiming for 10 reviews on this chapter, but I need at least 5 before I update again! Stay tuned for chapter 2! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Sorry for not updating yesterday! I was really busy! I actually had this chapter typed but I never had the chance to upload it! So anyway, here you go! By the way, thanks for all of the great reviews on chapter 1! :)**

Today was the day! I was going to be spending the entire summer with my best friend and cousin, Megan.

Megan lived in a small house in the coastal city of Southport, North Carolina. She lived alone. Megan lived in San Francisco when she was little- that's how we became so close- but she moved away a few years ago so she could be more independent. Megan was only a year older than me and she wasn't planning on going to college, so she was fine with moving away. She earned a living by working at a local restaurant close to her house.

My suitcase was on my bed, waiting to be stuffed with clothes. I practically packed my entire closet! By the time I was done packing, only my winter shirts and coats were left hanging in my closet. I ran to my bathroom to pack my toiletries. I grabbed my makeup, straightener and curler, and other personal hygiene products.

By the time I was done, my suitcase looked like it was about to explode. I lifted the heavy luggage off of my bed and rolled it downstairs. The airport was about 45 minutes away, so I would have almost an hour of torture alone with my mom. Don't get my wrong, I love my mom, but she can be pretty annoying sometimes.

"Come on mom! I'm ready to go!" I called for her as I opened the front door and rolled my suitcase towards to car.

I was so ready to get out of here and spend some time with one of the few people I can actually tolerate.

"Coming Kim!" She yelled as she locked the front door and headed towards the car where I was patiently waiting.

We threw my bags in the trunk and headed towards the airport. My mom talked for almost the whole car ride there. She told me to stay way from boys, stay safe, and the rest of the speech a mother normally gives you when you go away. I zoned out in the middle of her speech, not caring.

We finally arrived at the airport and I quickly got out of the car. My mother gave me a big hug. As soon as I escaped her grasp, I grabbed my bag and headed into the airport.

The plane ride was terrible. I sat in between a fat, middle aged man who wouldn't stop stuffing his face with food and an old man who kept snoring and leaning his head on my shoulder. It was the worst plane ride of my life, but we eventually landed! I quickly grabbed my carry-on bags and dashed off of the plane. I walked outside of the foreign airport and saw Megan.

"Megan!" I yelled as a ran up to her to give her a hug.

"Kim!" She squealed. "You're finally here! I'm so excited! "

"Me too!" I said.

"Well lets get going!" She said happily.

I threw my luggage in the back of her truck and hopped in the car with her.

For the first half hour, we talked, gossiped, and laughed. We didn't need much catching up time since we texted or video chatted every day. Soon, the car was silent and I focused on my thoughts. What's going to happen this summer? Will I meet knew people? Make new friends? What if I end up meeting a guy? What'll happen? I was snapped out of my thoughts by the sound of Megan turning off the car.

"We're here!" She said excitedly.

We hopped out of the car and I observed my surroundings. Megan lived in a cute little house on the bay. It was an off white one story house. There was a porch on the front side of the house with a big window. The neighborhood was _really_ quiet. It was a lot different from where I lived in San Francisco. A few of her neighbors were in their lawns and they gave me friendly waves.

I walked to the back of the truck and grabbed my bags. Megan was already in the house. I opened the front door, walked inside, and set my bags down by the door. There was a small foyer that split into two directions. Towards the left there was a living room with a door that led to what I assumed was a bedroom and towards right there was a hallway. There was a bedroom and a bathroom in the hallway, which led to the kitchen. The kitchen was very open and you could see the family room right beside it. There was a sliding glass door in the family room which led to the backyard. The backyard was beautiful. She had a backyard full of life. There were trees and even a garden. A pathway led down to a dock. The dock had a fishing boat tied to it.

I finished my observation of her house and walked back inside. I led myself to a guest bedroom and unpacked my stuff. There was a queen sized bed in the middle of the room, a closet to the left, a dresser on the wall across from the bed, and a door leading to a bathroom to the right. There was a TV on the dresser and a mirror right above it. The bed laid in between two bedside tables. The whole room was beach themed. There was a blue bedspread, a window with beachy curtains, and knick-knacks on the dresser. This was nice. Having a beach themed room relaxed me and helped me cope with the new environment I was in.

It was a little after noon when I finished unpacking, so I went to the family room to see what Megan was up to. I saw her cooking something in the kitchen.

"Whatcha doin'?" I asked, sitting in a bar stool by the counter.

"Cooking." She told me.

"Whatcha cookin'?" I asked.

"Lunch." She answered.

"What's for lunch?" I asked.

"My famous chili." She said proudly. She stopped what she was doing and looked up at me. "By the way Kim, after lunch I'm showing you around town. I don't need you getting lost when I'm not around." She said.

"It's not even a big town. I don't think I'll get lost." I pointed out. She ignored my comment and kept making the chili.

Once the chili was made, we sat at the counter and ate. We had some small talk; we talked about my college plans, what the town was like, and what we were planning on doing for fun this summer.

"So what do people do for fun around here?" I asked.

Megan thought about it for a moment. "Well, there's sailing, swimming, oh- and a beach!" She said.

"A beach?! Let's go!" I said happily.

"Finish your food then we'll go." She ordered. "The beach is only about two blocks away, so we can just walk there."

Once I finished my chili, I ran to my room and changed into more suitable clothing. I exchanged my expensive California clothes for some laid back ones. I changed into jean shorts and a white lace tank top. I slipped on some flip flops and waited for Megan.

"Hurry up, Megan!" I called for her as I waited by the front door.

Soon she came out of her room dressed in casual clothing like me. We left the house and walked towards the beach. Megan pointed out some local shops as we passed by them. I noticed there was one shop in particular that she didn't tell me about. I shrugged it off and kept my mind on the beach.

The closer we got, the more excited I became. Soon, we were close enough to see the soft sand and splashing waves. I took off full speed, running towards heaven.

"Kim, wait up!" Megan called after me. She finally caught up to me and started panting.

I sat down and buried my feet in the sand. I closed my eyes and listened to the most wonderful sounds in the world- the chirping birds, the wind blowing in the trees, and the sound of the crashing waves.

My mind kept wandering back to that mystery shop. It wasn't very far from here. In fact, I could see it from the beach.

"Megan, I'm going to go buy some sun screen from that store." I said and pointed in the direction of the mystery shop. I got up and turned to walk away.

"No!" Megan said and grabbed my hand, preventing me from going any further. "We don't shop there." She told me.

"Why not?" I asked, confused.

"We just don't!" She said a bit harshly.

"Okay! Okay! I won't go!" I said in defeat. I sat back down and buried my feet in the sand again.

We sat there in an awkward silence for a while. I didn't know what to say! Megan practically bit my head off when I told her I was going to that store! Neither one of us had spoken in a while. It was getting very awkward and I kind of wanted to go back to Megan's.

We were at the beach until around 7:00pm. We finally decided to head back home and rest. We didn't talk at all on the walk home.

When we finally reached her house, we made dinner and talked. it wasn't awkward anymore. I don't know why she yelled at me on the beach, but I'm just glad it's behind us.

After dinner, I put my plate in the sink and rushed to my room, but not without saying goodnight to Megan, first. I took a quick shower in my bathroom. I washed away all of the remnants from the beach. After my shower, I changed into yoga pants and a tank top, threw my hair up, then crawled into bed.

I wanted to know what was wrong with that store. It looked like a nice place! It was a two story white wooden buildihg with a front porch and two windows on either side of the front door. It didn't look like a creepy place. I shook the thought off and drifted off to sleep.

**Okay so right now this story might seem like a mystery, but it's not! And sorry for not putting Jack in this chapter! But don't fret! He'll be in the next chapter! I'll definitely be posting chapter 3 tomorrow! Please review! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay I know I promised you guys I was gonna update yesterday, but I had so much to do! And for some reason like half of this chapter got deleted so I had to rewrite it. Anyways, thanks for all of the great reviews! Enjoy!**

**Kim Pov**

I woke up the next morning to a delicious scent in my room. It smelled like freshly cooked sausage, eggs, and bacon. I had to admit I was starving, but I was way too tired to get out of bed. I laid there for a few minutes, trying to fall asleep again. The ceiling fan swirled the scent around my room, and around my nostrils. Soon, the delicious smell of food became unbearable and I climbed out of bed, ready to eat.

I hated waking up. I always looked like a mess. It always seemed like strands of my hair would get in wrestling matches in the middle of the night and make this huge knot on my head by the time I woke up. My eyes would always be small and squinty and for some reason my face was always just a little red and puffy. I am definitely not a morning person.

I walked into the kitchen to see Megan cooking at the stove. face turned around at the sound of my footsteps and faced me with a spatula in her hand. She observed my hideous morning appearance.

"Yikes." She teased.

"Oh shut up." I said as a rolled my eyes and took a seat at the counter.

"Hungry?" She asked me while finishing the last couple pieces of bacon she was cooking. She had a plate full of scrambled eggs, pieces of sausage, and a plate full of bacon set on the counter.

"Starving." I told her.

She handed me a plate and I quickly filled it up. Megan turned off the stove and cleaned up her mess. Then she brought me a glass and poured some orange juice in it. She sat next to me and we ate breakfast together. The amount food on my plate was getting low and I quickly finished it all, so I added a few more pieces of sausage.

"Someone's hungry." Megan stated.

My mouth was too stuffed with food to talk, so I just nodded. When I swallowed the last of my breakfast, I asked, "What are we doing today?"

"Well, I have to work at the restaurant today so I guess you're on your own." Megan told me. "But don't go out and get lost!"

"I won't! Besides, I think I'm starting to find my way around town." I told her.

"That's good. I'll have to leave soon, though. My shift starts in..." She glanced up at the wall clock. "Oh my gosh, 5 minutes! Gotta go! See ya later, kiddo!" She said as she ran out the front door.

For some reason Megan always called me "kiddo" even though I'm only a year younger than her. She's called me that since we were both in high school. I glanced at the clock. 10:30am.

I went to my room and brushed my teeth. I decided to take a shower and transform my self from this ugly morning creature into something decent. I turned the warm water on and cleaned myself. My shampoo smelled like coconuts and it completely relaxed me. I got out of the shower and changed into white shorts, a light blue shirt, and sandals. I blow dried my hair, straightened it, then clipped a few strands of hair back. The only make up I put on was mascara. I didn't need any kind of face makeup since my skin was naturally clear. The only time I actually wore a lot of make up was when I was going somewhere formal.

Once I finished getting ready, it was 11:30. I walked out of the house and locked the front door. I decided to walk around town and familiarize myself with where everything was located.

I walked around my neighborhood for a while and introduced myself to some of my neighbors. All of them were very friendly. It was a very kind neighborhood full of nice people. It was nothing like my neighborhood back in San Francisco. I lived in an apartment full of mean old people and abnoxious teenagers. There would always be screaming in the hallways and you could hear cars honking on the street below. Here it was calm and quiet. I finished my observations of the neighborhood and walked towards the center of town. I saw the courthouse, city hall, and other relatively tall buildings. Most people in town were either riding their bikes or walking; there weren't many people driving cars. It was a small town, so you didn't really need to drive to get to your destination. I decided to walk towards the neighborhoods by the beach. I saw the restaurant that Megan works at, a few stores, and some gift shops. There were also a couple of motels. This was definitely where the tourists stayed. I continued to walk around until I saw it- that store that Megan didn't want me going to.

I did not get what was so dang weird about that store! It looked like a friendly place to be and it looked very inviting. Was she afraid of the owner? Was it some weird old guy who turned about to be a sex offender or a murderer? I cringed at the thought.

_Should I go in? _I thought to myself. I didn't want to disappoint Megan by disobeying her, but my curiosity was getting the best of me. I decided to go into the store and find out why Megan hated it so much. I wouldn't let her know about it, of course.

I walked up the front porch steps leading to the front door. I gulped as a reached for the door handle. I opened the door and heard a bell ring, signaling my presence. There was nobody in the store. It looked like a normal shop to me. Shelves were stacked with food, toiletries, and other useful items. The walls were covered with open windows that let in the warm sunlight from outside. There was a rotating ceiling fan that didn't really cool the place down at all. Towards the front of the store was the empty counter with nobody behind it.

I had to admit, this place didn't seem like a bad place at all. I decided to do some grocery shopping while I was already here, so Megan wouldn't have to run out and get groceries when she got home. I grabbed a small grocery basket and began shopping. I grabbed shampoo, toothpaste, bread, peanut butter, and raisins. Even though Megan didn't like raisins, I decided to get them since they were my favorite snack to eat. I'm the only one out of my friends and family who actually likes raisins. Once I finished shopping, and walked to the counter and waited for some service.

I quickly became impatient and noticed a bell sitting on the counter. I tapped the bell and waited for the clerk.

"Just a second!" I heard someone call from a back room behind the counter.

Suddenly, a brown haired boy with big brown eyes came out of the back room and walked up to the counter. He looked around the age of 20, give or take a few years. He was tall, but not too tall. His toned chest and abs showed through the tank top he was wearing, and his arm muscles complemented his body nicely. He was built, but not too bulky. I had to admit, he was an attractive guy.

"Can I help you?" He said snapping me out of my thoughts while smiling at me.

I set the basket on counter and watched him ring up my items.

"Raisins?" He asked. "Hmm, nobody in my family really likes 'em- only me." He said.

I smiled at his similarity to my love of raisins.

"Eight dollars even." He told me. I pulled out my wallet and handed him a ten dollar bill.

"Keep the change." I said and smiled.

"Thanks." He said as he put the money in the cash register and handed me my bag full of items.

"So, you new around here? I haven't seen you around before." He said.

"Yeah. I'm staying with my cousin for the summer." I told him.

He nodded in understanding. "Where ya from?" He asked.

"San Francisco." I said.

"Ooh, California. Have you seen any celebrities?" He asked.

I laughed a little and smiled. "No, not where I'm from." I said.

He chuckled. "So are you finding your way around town all right?" He asked.

"Sort of. It's rather hard to get lost in a small town like this." I pointed out.

"Well maybe I can show you around sometime." He said.

Wait- does he mean like a date? Oh no way am I going out with this kid- or any by in town, for that matter. He's probably one of those rude boys who hits on every girl who comes to town. But what if it's not a date and he's just trying to be friendly? Yeah, that's probably it.

"Sure." I said as I smiled and bit my lip. That always seemed to be a nervous habit of mine. I took my groceries and turned to walk out the door. I pushed open the door and heard the bell ring.

"Wait!" The cashier said. "What's your name?" He asked.

"Kim." I replied. "Kim Crawford." I said and smiled.

He smiled back. "Jack." He introduced himself.

I gave him a quick nod and walked out the door.

I headed home and started thinking. Is that why Megan didn't want me going to that store? Because of Jack? Why would she have a problem with him? He seemed so sweet! There has to be another reason... but what was it?

**So there's chapter three! And we finally found out what was in that store! But why doesn't Megan want Kim going in there? Stay tuned to find out! PLEASE REVIEW! I absolutely love hearing what you guys think! :) **

**P.s. I'll probably update Thursday... maybe earlier if I get a lot of reviews ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**I am so sorry for not updating! I've been extremely busy the last couple of days and haven't had time to write! I'll be pretty busy this week too, so I won't be updating as frequently! Well, here's chapter 5!**

I was heading home until I realized it was just after noon. I might as well finish looking around town. I decided to walk down to the restaurant where Megan works. It was on the bay and was only a few minutes away from here. As I got closer to the restaurant, I could see the appearance of it.

It was a small wooden building sitting on a dock. The dock stretched out into the bay somewhat, and the restaurant was at the end of the dock. I started walking down the dock. The building was very small. I assumed that most of building was for the kitchen. All of the tables and chairs were outside on the dock, under a roof. All around the dock was a railing. There was a small stage in the corner, maybe for karaoke and performing. In front of the stage was a wooden dance floor. When I finally reached the restaurant, I called her name and she turned around and waved. I started walking towards her until I was stopped by a tall, blonde haired, brown eyes boy.

"Hey, I'm Jason." He said.

"Kim." I replied. Why is he talking to me?

Jason was a very attractive boy. He had large arm muscles, but not nearly as toned as Jacks. Wait- why am I thinking about Jack?

"You know, a lot the guys around town have been talking about a pretty blonde girl named Kim coming to town. I'm assuming you're her." He said.

"Yeah, I'm from San Francisco." I told him.

"We'll you're very pretty." He said and smiled.

I blushed it a bit at his compliment. "Thanks."

Don't make any assumptions; no I don't have a crush growing on this kid. Sure he's attractive, but no way would I ever go out with him. I like being alone and that's all there is to it.

Megan walked up to us. "Hey Kim! I see you've met Jason!" She said happily.

"Yup." I said.

"Well maybe Jason could show you around town. I'm too busy today, but I'm sure he'd love to, right Jason?" She said.

"Of course! Is that alright with you, Kim?" He asked.

I thought of the plans I made with Jack. He was supposed to be showing me around town. In fact, we never made a time or date for it. I should talk to him about it. First I have to get out of this thing with Jason.

"Maybe another time. I'm exhausted. I think I'll just go home and go to bed." I lied.

"At 12:30?" Jason asked.

Crap. "Well, uh- I'm kinda tired. I thought I'd just take a nap and lounge around the rest of the day." I lied.

Jason didn't look convinced. "Well okay! I'll see you around Kim!" He smiled and winked.

As soon as Jason walked away, Megan punched me in the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" I yelled at her.

"For turning down Jason! _The_ Jason Nickels! He's the mayor's son!" She exclaimed.

"Well sorry! I just don't like him like that and you know I don't want to date yet!" I yelled at her.

Whatever. Your loss!" She said. "Well I have to get back to work, kid. I'll see you at home." Megan gave me a hug goodbye and continued working.

Maybe I could go see if Jack wants to hang out. I thought to myself.

I literally just met this guy and I'm going to ask him if he wants to hang out? What if he thinks I'm clingy? What is he thinks I'm weird?

I turned around and walked back towards the direction of the store. As I got closer, I could see the white wooden building. I opened the door and heard the familiar bell ringing, signaling my entrance.

I looked around the store and didn't see anyone. I walked up to the counter and rang the bell. A man who looked around the age of 60 walked behind the counter to meet me.

"Um, hi. Is Jack here?" I asked.

The man wore a plaid flannel shirt with denim overalls. His fashion sense was very out of date, but he seemed like a nice old man. His hair was mostly brown but turning gray and he had beard.

"Well, well, you must be Kim. Jack's been tellin' me about a pretty blonde gal he met." The man said. He had a strong southern accent, which was weird since he lived in North Carolina. I guess he moved here. "I'm Jack's grandfather. You can call me Charlie." He reached his hand out and shook my hand.

I gave him a friendly smile and shook his hand.

"Now what's a pretty gal like you doin' lookin' for Jack?" He asked.

"Well I'm new here and he offered to show me around town." I said.

He nodded in understanding. "Well, he's right up them stairs." He said as he nodded his head towards a narrow, metal spiral staircase in the corner of the shop.

"Okay, thank you." I said and headed towards the stairs.

I walked up the stairs and saw a sunny room. There were big windows on every wall. There weren't any curtains or blinds so the room was naturally lit by the sun. The room was fairly large. There was a bed towards the right corner and a desk on the left side of the room, facing a window. The room had a closet so there was no dresser. There was a bed side table between the bed and the wall, and another on the other side of the bed. This room looked like a bedroom. Why would someone live in the upstairs of their shop? I looked over and there Jack was, standing next to his bed. He was facing the window and his back was towards me. He didn't have a shirt on and he was lifting a dumbbell in his right hand. His muscles contracted with every lift of the weight. There was a light layer of moisture on his upper body. I had to admit, Jack was hot. However, that does not mean I would ever date him!

I cleared my throat, signaling my presence. He turned around surprised.

"Oh hey Kim!" He said and smiled as he put the weight down to grab a small towel. "What are you doing here?" He asked and wiped his face with the towel.

"Well, I was just thinking that maybe you could show around town now." I explained.

"Missed me already?" He teased.

"What? No! I just-"

"Kim I'm kidding!" He said and chuckled.

I laughed in response. "So is that a yes?" I asked.

"Sure let me just grab a shirt." He said. He walked to his closet and pulled out a casual shirt. He put it on and led me downstairs.

"Bye Pop!" Jack said as he led me out of the shop.

"Bye Charlie!" I said.

**So I know this chapter was short, but I really needed to post something. I haven't written it yet, but I think next chapter will be a good one! Anyways, I hope you guys liked it and stay tuned for chapter 5! PLEASE REVIEW! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING! My life's been pretty hectic lately and I seriously had no time to write. I'll try really hard to update more frequently! So again, I'm really really really sorry! Well, here's the chapter you've all been waiting for...**

Jack and I walked out of the shop and headed towards town. It was nice and sunny outside. I cool breeze blew across my neck and face. It was a gorgeous afternoon.

"So what do you want to see first?" Jack asked me.

"I don't know, you're the tour guide!" I said.

He laughed. "Okay, let's show you downtown. He said and smiled.

We walked towards downtown in a comfortable silence. I glanced at Jack out of the corner of my eye. His luscious brown hair was blowing in the breeze and his big brown eyes sparkled.

Snap out of it, Kim! I told myself.

I shook the thought out of my head as we got closer to downtown. He showed me city hall, the courthouse, and every other building I had already seen before. I actually knew my way around town really well. The truth is, I just wanted Jack to give me a tour so we could hang out and get closer. No, I don't like Jack- just as a friend!

"Well, that concludes the end of our tour!" Jack said in a voice of a tour guide.

I laughed and smiled. What, it was funny!

"So is there anywhere else you want to go?" He asked.

I thought about it for a moment. "The beach!" I exclaimed.

"But Kim, you've been to the beach before." Jack said.

"I know, I just love it so much! I would love to see it again!" I said excitedly.

He chuckled. "Okay, Kim."

With that, we headed towards the beach. It was about 3:00 by the time the tour ended and we got to the beach.

As I walled through the sand, I felt the cool breeze across my neck. I took off my sandals, and my feet met the sandy surface. I held my sandals as I walked closer to the water, then sat down in the soft sand. I closed my eyes and listened to the birds and the ocean. I heard Jack walk up from behind me and sit down.

It was quiet for a moment, but then he finally spoke. "Why do you like it here so much?" Jack asked me.

That was an easy question. "I guess it just relaxes me. Sitting here in the sand just seems to make every problem I have fade away." I explained.

He nodded in understanding. We sat there in another silence.

"So how do you like Southport?" Jack asked, obviously trying to strike up a conversation.

"It's really nice." I said. "Everyone's so friendly here!"

"Well, most people. Not everyone is friendly wherever you go." He pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's a lot friendlier than San Francisco. I didn't really live in the best, richest neighborhood, so not many people were nice." I told him.

"Well, have you made any friends?" He asked.

"A few." I said and smiled. He smiled back.

"Who?" He asked.

"Well I have Megan, you, and I met the mayor's son, Jason." I said.

Jack groaned. "Jason Nickels? Ugh, I hate that kid." He said sourly.

"What? Why? He seemed kind of nice." I said.

"That's just an act. He's just some rich pretty boy who doesn't care about anyone but himself. He's really just a jerk." He told me.

I was surprised. This was a new side of Jack I hadn't seen before. Also, I didn't think of Jason as that kind of guy.

"Wow. I didn't know that." I said.

"Yeah he just uses girls to get in their pants. He's a player." Jack continued.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about me falling for him or anything. I think love and dating is way overrated." I said.

Jack started chuckling. He probably thought I was weird for saying that. Most people do.

"What? Do you think I'm weird for saying that?" I asked, rather offended.

"What? No!" He started. "You're just the only person I've ever met that feels the same way as me! I think it's overrated, too! Everyone makes fun of me for saying that, so I'm glad I know someone who feels the same way." He said.

"I know right! I mean people have high expectations about how they're gonna meet their 'prince charming' and it never happens. All you do is end up getting a broken heart in the end. Either the husband leaves, you get a divorce, or he even dies. I say it's better to have not loved than to have loved and lost- if that even makes sense." I finished.

"Yeah." He agreed. "One day they act like they're the perfect one for you and the next day they break your heart." He finished.

"I'll never fall in love." I stated.

"Me either." He agreed.

"What's your reason? I mean, what caused you to think of love this way?" I asked.

Jack sighed and dug his feet further into the sand. He looked out towards the water, then looked back at Kim. "It's a long story." He simply said.

Kim could see hurt in Jack's eyes. Something had happened to him. "You can tell me." Kim said and gave Jack a reassuring smile.

Jack took a deep breath and began. "About 10 years ago, when I was 9, I had a pretty great life. It wasn't perfect, but it was close to it. I had the best family ever. My parents were always around and we were all so close. I was an only child so I was pretty spoiled. I loved my parents so much. They were the most important things in the world to me. I would put aside time with friends just so I could have more family time with them. My dad was my best friend. We'd go sailing together and we'd go to the beach. We lived right here in Southport. None of my other family lived here, so on holidays and special occasions it would just be the three of us." Jack said. I listened closely as he spoke. Jack sighed and I could tell he was fighting back tears. "One day, my parents were going out somewhere- dinner, a movie, or something like that. It was around 10:00pm and I was waiting for them to come home. I had a babysitter but she was busy texting her boyfriend. We got a call saying my parents were in a terrible car accident. We rushed to the hospital. Apparently they were coming home from wherever they were and they were hit by a drunk driver. Their car tumbled down the road and they were terribly hurt. We made it to the hospital, but we were too late. They had lost way too much blood and died." Tears were threatening to spill over Jack's eyelids and one eventually did. "I never got the chance to say goodbye and that I loved them." He said.

I was heartbroken. I can't believe Jack had to go through that. "It's so stupid. One day the people you love are right there with you and the next day they're gone. Why did they have to die? Why didn't they have God or a guardian angel looking out for them? It sucks!" Jack said.

I placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "I'm so sorry. They're in a better place now. They're your guardian angels." I told him and gave him a reassuring smile.

He managed a small smile. "But that's not all." He started and sighed again. "When my parents died, nobody was there to take care of me. The rest of my family lived out of state. However, my grandfather said he would be happy to move here and take care of me. He moved into my house and I lived with him. He's from the south, which is why he has that accent. He opened up our shop and we started our lives together. I finally had someone I loved back in my life. I thought everything would be okay from there, but it wouldn't be." Jack sighed again and another tear escaped from his eyes. "About a year after he moved to Southport, he was diagnosed with leukemia. He battled it for a while, and last year he stopped responding to his transfusions. Last summer, I was planning on going to North Carolina State University, but I had to stay home and take care of my grandfather." He said.

"Oh my god Jack, I'm so sorry." I said.

"It's fine. Just goes to show you that love always ends up in disappointment." He said.

We sat there in an awkward silence. I didn't want to upset Jack anymore, so I decided to change the subject. "So... North Carolina State University?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. It's not really my dream school, but my dad went there and my grandfather always told me that my dad wanted me to go there, too."

"So you were gonna go last year? That makes you..."

"Nineteen." Jack said.

"Oh! You're the same age as my cousin, Megan." I said.

Jack was silent for a moment, then spoke, "Yep."

"So why would you want to go to that college if you don't like it?" I asked.

Jack sighed. "I don't want to disappoint my dad." He said.

"Aw, Jack. You could never disappoint him. I'm sure he's in heaven, looking down at you and supporting all of your decisions 100%." I said.

"Maybe." He said.

I checked my phone and saw that it was 5:00pm.

"I should probably go." I said. "Megan's getting off work soon and I need to get home." I said.

I stood up and brushed the sand off my clothes. I turned to walk away until Jack grabbed my hand and turned me towards him.

"Wait. When do I get to ask you all the questions?" He asked.

I smiled. "Tomorrow. I'll stop by the shop around noon." I said.

He gave me a reassuring smile and nod, then turned his attention towards the crashing waves.

I walked home with a head buzzing with questions. I wanted to learn more about Jack. I found him so interesting!

I finally reached the house and went inside. I sat at the dining room table and waited for Megan to walk through the front door. I decided not to tell her about my afternoon with Jack. I know she didn't want me going to that store, so it wouldn't be a good idea if I told her that I had.

Megan finally got home and we spent the rest of the night together.

**So I realize there was a lot of background information in that chapter and if you have any questions about it feel free to leave it in the reviews or PM me. I'm not sure when I'll be updating again, so just keep an eye out :)**


	6. IMPORTANT: AUTHORS NOTE

**No this is not an update, just an authors note! I'm so sorry for not updating! I can't even remember the last time I did! I've been super busy and it's almost the end of the school year so I just started gesturing lazy; but to be honest, there is no good reason as to why I haven't been updating. Again, I am so sorry. I've been meaning to post this authors note for weeks now but I just never got around to it.** **So, my lovely readers, I have two options for you and I would like for you to vote on it:**

**1. I continue this story but I won't start updating until summer.**

**2. I delete this story and start a completely different one, and I won't update until summer.**

**So let me know which option you like better! FYI, if I continued this story, I would probably update around June 15th I think? If I started a new story, it would probably come out late June since I have to think of a new plot and everything.**

**So there you have it my fellow readers! Once again, I apologize for not updating and please let me know what option you prefer! Love you all! :)**

**xoxo**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, I'm back! After weeks and weeks of not updating, I finally updated! Yay! I'm so sorry for not updating a lot. I have a lot of extracurricular activities and I take some really hard classes so I had a lot of homework. But now that summer is here, I will be updating much more frequently! I actually had to reread this story because I forgot what was happening... Oops! But this chapter has some flirty kick moments in it so I hope you like it! Enjoy! IMPORTANT QUESTION AT THE BOTTOM.**

**Kim Pov**

Megan and I sat down for dinner that night. Some delicious spaghetti was sitting on the dining room table, just waiting to be eaten. Not that I could eat. What was I supposed to tell Megan if she asked what I had done all day? She'd kill me if she found out I went to that shop she hates.

"So how was work?" I asked, trying to avoid her questions.

"Ugh it was terrible. A family came in today with five little ones. They kept screaming and crying and they got food everywhere! I went over to their table to check on them and one of those little devils threw their plate of Mac and cheese at me! It got all over me! It's not just that they were loud and messy, though; after they left and I went to collect my tips, I noticed they had only tipped me like 10%, if that." Megan said stressfully.

"Oh, sorry Megs." I said.

"It's alright, kid. I'm just gonna head to bed. Night." She told me. Then she left, leaving her plate.

"Night." I replied.

I cleaned up the table and rinsed off plates in the sink. Exhausted by my long day, I went to my room, flopped on my bed, and drifted off to sleep.

I woke up the next morning around 10 o'clock. Remembering I told Jack I'd stop by his store around noon today, I started to get ready.

I took a quick shower and brushed out my hair. Luckily my hair is naturally curly, and I didn't have to do anything special to it. I decided to wear a sundress. I wore a light beige dress with small flowers on it that went down to about mid thigh. I added a belt and slipped on some dark beige sandals. To top off my appearance, I put on some mascara and lipgloss.

I started walking towards Jack's place around 11:30. The sky was covered with a few gray clouds, but the sun was still shining bright. Soon, I arrived at Jack's place and walked in the store. I noticed the room was vacant, so I rang the bell at the counter to see if someone would show up. With no luck, I went outside and walked around to the back of the shop to see if I could find someone there. I arrived to see Jack and his grandfather strapping a canoe to the top of a rusty, old white truck.

"Hey Charlie, hey Jack!" I said with a smile.

"Howdy, Kim!" Charlie said.

"Hey Kim!" Jack replied happily as they finished tying the canoe to the truck. The two of them walked over to me.

"So, what are you guys doing?" I asked, wondering where Jack would be going when we made plans for today.

"Oh, me and Pop are gonna head out and go canoe- ah man, I totally forgot we made plans to hang out today! I'm sorry Kim." He said apologetically.

"Oh, it's fine. You and your grandfather need some bonding time!" I said, rather disappointed.

"Now hold on. Kim, if Jack made plans with you for today, why don't you go instead of me." Charlie said.

Although I was happy with his offer, I felt bad for ruining their bonding time together. "Oh, no it's fine. You don't need to-"

"That's a great idea!" Jack said, cutting me off. "It'll be fun, Kim!"

I thought about it. Some alone time with Jack wouldn't hurt.

"Okay, I'll go!" I said and smiled while I bit my lower lip.

"Great!" Jack said and smiled.

We hopped in the truck and waved goodbye to Charlie. We drove for a few minutes with the radio on, while making small talk.

_I've been searching a long time_

_For someone exactly like you_

"Oh my gosh, I love this song!" I exclaimed.

Jack turned up the radio and I sang along with the music.

_"I've been traveling all around the world_

_Waiting for you to come through."_

As we came to a red light, I turned to look at Jack and he looked back at me.

_"Someone like you_

_Make it all worth while._

_Someone like you_

_Keeps me satisfied._

_Someone exactly like you."_

_BEEP! _A car honked and Jack turned his attention back to the rode, noticing the light had turned green and he was holding up traffic.

I laughed and kept singing along with the music.

_"I've been travelin' a hard road_

_Had been lookin' for someone exactly like you._

_I've been carryin' my heavy load_

_Waiting for the light to come shining through."_

Soon, Jack joined in and we sang in harmony.

_"Someone like you_

_Make it all worth while_

_Someone like you_

_Make me satisfied_

_Someone exactly like you_

_I've been doin' some soul searching_

_To find out where you're at_

_I've been up and down the highway_

_In all kinds of foreign land."_ We sang as we pulled up to a lake.

_"Someone exactly like you."_ We sang together. We sat there in the car by the lake, in comfortable silence.

"Kim, I never knew you could sing like that." Jack said softly.

I smiled. "There's lots of things you don't know about me." I said and hopped out of the car. A few seconds passed and Jack opened his car door and got out. We untied the canoe and dragged it down to the lake.

"Well, here we are!" Jack said, gesturing to the big lake infront of us.

**Jack Pov**

"It's beautiful." Kim said softly.

I turned to look at her. Her curly blonde locks shined under the sunlight and her skin had a tan glow to it. Luckily she was too fixed on the beautiful lake to notice my staring.

I couldn't like Kim, could I? I mean sure she's sweet, kind, smart, and undeniably beautiful, and maybe I cared for her a lot, but I can't like her, can I? Love doesn't exist; it's just a load of crap. Yeah, I definitely don't like her...

**Kim Pov**

I could feel Jack staring at me and it made me kind of nervous. I turned my head to him and met his big brown eyes. His face got a shade of pink and he turned his attention to the canoe.

"Well, lets go!" He said excitedly. He held out his hand and I took it. It made my stomach do somersaults and my hand feel warm and tingly. He helped me into the canoe, then let go of my hand, taking the warmth and tingly feeling away with it.

Once we were both in the canoe, we started paddling out to the middle of the lake.

**Sorry to leave you guys hanging like that, but if added the next part, it would've made this chapter way longer than usual and I don't like to do that. Instead, I give you guys more chapters, so you're welcome! **

**PLEASE READ: Okay guys so I have a dilemma. I don't get disney XD at my house and therefore I can't watch kickin it. I know, sad right? :( I just usually look up videos online, but there's like no videos of season 3, so I'm missing a lot. So I'm asking you, my lovely readers, if some of you who have YouTube account could post videos of the new season 3 episodes! Please PM me if you can do this. I'll give you a shoutout on every chapter! If nobody PMs me then Ill be very disappointed in you guys. Thanks! Stay tuned for chapter 7! :)**

**ALSO: I've created a new community but I'm not really sure what its for and how to work it. So if somebody could explain the whole thing to me and PM me, that would be great.**


	8. Chapter 7

**Hey guys I'm back! I'm so sorry for not updating! I really don't have a good excuse. I only recieved 8 reviews last chapter. Only 8?! Come on guys you know you can do better than that! I didn't really know if you guys were still interested or not in the story so I just didn't update! But I am an fanfiction almost everyday. I check it in the morning and right before I go to bed, so feel free to PM me and yell at me for not updating! It'll really motivate me! Anyways, I worked so hard on this chapter so I REALLY hope you guys like it!**

**Ps: THIS IS THE LONGEST CHAPTER I HAVE EVER WRITTEN SO YOU BETTER ENJOY IT!**

**Kim Pov**

We paddled the canoe out to the middle of the lake. When we finally reached the center, we stopped paddling and looked at the scenery surrounding us.

It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to. The lake was surrounded by tall trees that formed thick forests. Towards the outside of the lake were all different kinds of water plants like cattails and lily pads. The sun was shining bright and provided a warm feeling. It was pretty quiet. The only noises being made were the trees gently swaying back and forth from the slight breeze blowing and the creatures in the lake swimming around and breaking the surface of the water every once in a while. There were a few gray clouds, but thankfully, no rain.

I tore my eyes from the scenery surrounding is and turned my head, only to meet Jack's eyes that were staring at me.

"What?" I questioned. Did I have something on my face?

"Nothing." He said and looked down, with a slight smile on his face.

**Jack Pov**

I watched Kim as she looked around, taking in everything around us. The light from the sun glistening off of her hair made it look golden and her eyes sparkled. I just couldn't take my eyes off of her. I know I said I couldn't possibly like her, but maybe since we're getting closer, I'm starting to fall for her. I don't know what I'm feeling exactly.

"What?" My thoughts were interrupted by Kim giving me a questioning look. Looks like I was staring a bit too long.

"Nothing." I said and broke eye contact while trying not to chuckle at her cuteness.

We sat there in silence until she finally spoke up.

"You know, it sure is beautiful here." She said while looking at the water. "It's nothing like San Francisco."

"Yeah. I like to come here with Pop. It's relaxing." There was another moment of silence until I broke it. "So, remember when I told you that loves a joke because of what happened with my parents and how you end up getting hurt?" She nodded. "Well, you never told me why you feel that way." I finished.

"Well, there was never really something traumatic that happened to me that made me feel this way. I guess I just know a lot of people who have gotten hurt. For example, a few months ago I was video chatting Megan and she was telling me about this boy who broke her heart. She never mentioned a name so I don't know who it was. Maybe it was Jason Nickels. By the way you described him as a player I guess it could've been him that broke her heart." Kim finished.

I looked away for a second and didn't say anything. My stomach felt a little queasy but I finally spoke. "Yeah. It was probably Jason. He breaks a lot of hearts." I said, still not making eye contact.

There was a long silence, so I tried to think of a conversation starter. I looked at Kim and saw a small flying bug that landed on her head.

"Kim, don't move. You have a wasp on your head." I said as calmly as I could while trying to hold in a laugh.

"WHAT? Jack I'm terrified of wasps! Get it off!" She screamed.

I stood up slowly, trying not to tip the canoe.

"Jack hurry, before it stings me!" She yelled while flailing her arms around, trying to scare it away."

"Kim hold still or you're gonna tip us!" I warned her. I was about to swat the wasp away, until it crawled on her forehead. Kim obviously felt it move, because she stood up and flailed her arms around, swaying the canoe.

"Kim!" I screamed before we tipped the canoe and landed in the water with a splash.

We popped our heads out of the water.

"Is it gone?" She asked innocently.

I laughed. "Yes it's gone! I guess you scared it away when you tipped the canoe!" I said while playfully splashing her with water.

"What! That wasn't my fault! If you would've got the wasp off of me sooner, then I wouldn't have flipped out like that!" She said and splashed me back.

"Don't blame this on me!" I splashed her again. Soon we were in an all out splash war. We were both laughing hysterically and splashing each other. We finally stopped splashing and our laughs started to settle down.

"Kim, you look like a raccoon." I chuckled. Her mascara was running and it surrounded her eyes. I could see her cheeks turn a light shade of red from embarrassment.

"Aw, Kim don't be embarrassed! You're a pretty raccoon." I said while wiping some of the mascara off of her face.

Kim Pov

Did he just say I'm pretty? I could feel my cheeks start to heat up again and I could tell they were turning red. Only this time it wasn't from embarrassment.

I felt a drop of water touch my shoulder, then my cheek, then the top of my head. Jack and I looked up to see rain clouds above us.

"Um, we should probably get out of here before it starts pouring." I suggested, thankful that the rain had disrupted us before Jack could tease me about my blushing.

We both grabbed the canoe and pulled it out of the water. It took longer then we had expected since we had paddled out to the middle of the lake, and by the time we reached the edge it was pouring.

We threw the canoe in the back of the truck and ran to the car doors.

"Quick, get in!" Jack said as he held the passenger door open for me.

Aw what a gentlemen! I thought.

He ran to the other side if the truck and quickly got in.

"Whew." He panted. "I really wasn't expecting that." He chuckled.

"Me either! Come on, let's get out of here!" I told him.

He turned the keys but the car wouldn't start. He tried again but it kept making a weird noise.

"Uh-oh." He said.

"Uh-oh? What do you mean by 'uh-oh?'" I asked worriedly.

"Looks like we have to walk." He said.

"What?!" I exclaimed. "We can't walk all the way back to your house in the pouring rain!"

"Okay, fine. If you don't want to walk all the way back, we can stop somewhere. There's a diner not too far away from here. Wanna grab something to eat?" He said with a smile.

"Sure." I smiled back.

It's not a date or anything. We're just gonna stay there 'till the rain stops. There's nothing wrong with that! I thought.

"Ready?" He said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Ready." I said.

We hopped out of the car and ran down to the diner. We dodged branches, ran around trees, and jumped over roots. Unfortunately it was hard to run in my sandals and I started to fall behind.

"Kim, come on!" Jack turned and yelled to me. Noticing my struggle, he turned around, grabbed my hand, and pulled me. Thank god it was raining and he was focused on making it to the diner. Otherwise he would have seen the blush creeping up on my cheeks.

Jack Pov

I noticed Kim started to fall behind me and we needed to make it to the diner as soon as possible. I turned around and grabbed her hand to pull her along. Warmth radiated through my body as my hand touched hers. I didn't bother to turn around to face her. For one, I had to focus on running to the diner and two, I didn't want her to see the blush on my cheeks.

A few minutes later, we finally made it to the diner. It was a one story building with big red letters at the top that read "Al's Diner.' It was a pretty old fashioned place, but it had great food. I wasn't really fond of this place; it brought back memories that I tried so hard to forget. Unfortunately, it was the closest place to run to.

I pulled Kim through the parking lot and we finally made it inside. We were both cracking up at the adventure we just had.

"Well that was quite a run." She joked as we tried to catch our breath.

"Yeah." I agreed.

We walked over to a booth and sat down. I sat on one side of the table and she sat on the other.

It was a pretty small diner. There was a bar that ran along one side of the restaurant and there were booths along the opposite wall. The floor was white tile and the chairs were red. Windows wrapped around every wall of the diner with the exception of the side where the bar was located. There were hardly any people present. In fact, the only other person was a man sitting at the bar reading a newspaper while sipping his coffee every few seconds.

Kim and I sat there in silence for a few minutes.

**Kim Pov**

Jack and I sat in a booth by a window. I glanced out of the window and looked outside. The sky was dark and you could incontestably hear the pouring rain.

After a few moments, I turned my attention back to Jack. He seemed lost in his thoughts. It seemed like something was bothering him. He had his arms extended on the table and he was fiddling with his fingers.

"Jack, are you okay?" I asked as a placed my hand on his arm for comfort.

His eyes instantly met mine and he sighed. "Yeah. Yeah I'm fine. It's just- this place brings back some old memories; memories that I don't really want to think about."

"Do you want to tell me about it?" I asked.

Should I tell her? I want to be honest with her but I don't want her to find out from someone else. Okay I'll tell her.

I took a deep breath and began. "Well-"

"Good afternoon folks!" A middle aged waiter greeted us.

"I'm Al. Can I get y'all something to drink?" He asked while handing us two menus.

"Sweet tea for me, please." Kim said.

"Just water, thanks." I told him.

"Alrighty! I'll be back soon to take your order.

We nodded and he left.

"You were saying?" Kim said.

"It's nothing, really." I told her. I decided it would be a bad idea to tell her. I can't handle what she might think of me if she knew.

Kim nodded understandingly and we sat there for a few moments in silence.

"So... Did you have fun today?" I asked.

She smiled. "Yeah! It was a lot of fun! Well, except for the whole wasp incident."

I chuckled. "Really? That was probably one of my favorite parts from today." I teased.

"Oh really? Yeah my favorite part by far was when you said I looked like a raccoon." She said sarcastically, but in a joking tone.

"Aw come on Kim, I told you you were a pretty raccoon!" I said defensively.

"Whatever!" She joked.

We were interrupted by our waiter coming back to take our order.

"Y'all ready to order?" He said as he set our drinks on the table.

We both quickly glanced at the menus , and tried to quickly decide what we wanted.

"I guess I'll have the cuban." I said.

"I'll take one too, please." Kim replied.

Al nodded and walked away.

"So how long are you staying in Southport for?" I asked her.

"For the rest of the summer. Then I'm moving back to California for college." She told me.

"Where are you going to school?" I questioned.

"University of Southern California." She said.

"Really? That was one of the colleges I applied to." I said. "I even got accepted.

"But I thought you wanted to go to North Carolina State University?" She asked.

She remembered that I told her that?

"Well, that's where my Pop wants me to go." I said a little disappointingly.

"But you don't?" She asked.

I shook my head.

"Jack, just because everyone else wants you to do something doesn't mean you have to." She told me.

"I know. I actually applied to a lot of colleges. I'm not really sure what to do." I said.

I felt Kim's soft hand grab my hand and I looked up at her.

"It'll be okay. Do what matters to you." She said.

Before I could thank her, out waiter came back with our food.

"Here you go." He said while placing the food in front of us. We thanked him and he walked off.

For the next few minutes we ate in silence. I kept thinking over my previous conversation with Kim.

Kim's Pov

It felt nice to give Jack some advice. He was such a nice guy and I really cared about him.

For the next ten minutes, we made small talk and ate our dinner. I looked out the window and saw that it was starting to get dark.

"We should get going. It's getting kind of dark." I said.

Jack nodded. We paid our bill and left a generous tip before heading out if the diner. Our clothes were almost dry but I could still feel the dampness on my skin.

We walked in the direction of Jack's house.

"Wait- what about your truck?" I asked.

"I'll get it tomorrow. It wasn't starting up anyway." He said.

I nodded. We walked along the side of the rode. There were thick patches of trees surrounding us. The sky was almost completely dark and you could here the loud sounds of crickets.

"It's so pretty out here." I said more to myself than Jack.

"Yeah." I heard him say.

The walk home was nice. We walked next to each other and enjoyed each others company. He asked me questions about my life back in San Francisco and I asked him more about his life here in Southport.

"Hey kids!" Charlie said as we approached him. He was sitting on the front porch of the shop in a rocking chair and was reading a book. The porch light gave a decent amount of light for us.

"Hey Charlie!" I said.

"Hey Pop!" Said Jack.

"I was just about to head on in. Night Jack! Night Kim!" He said and walked away.

"Night!" We said simultaneously.

An awkward silence dawned over us as we stood there.

"So..." Jack said while he put his hands in his pockets and swung back on his heels.

"I had a lot of fun today Jack. Thank you so much." I said with a smile.

"No problem. We should do it again sometime!" He said as he flashed his smile.

"That'd be great!" I said. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow. Night."

"Night Kim!" He said.

I wasn't sure if I should hug him or not. What if he took it the wrong way? My thoughts were interrupted by Jack's strong arms wrapping around me and bring my into a warm embrace. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him back. It was so warm and comforting. I felt completely safe in his arms. I few moments later we both pulled away.

We gave each other a quick smile before I turned and walked in the direction of my house. I thought I caught a glimpse of something in the window as I turned my head, but I wasn't sure.

**Jack Pov**

I watched Kim as she turned around and walked towards her house. When she was out of sight, I turned and walked up the porch and went inside. As I walked in, I saw my grandfather by the window.

"What were you doing?" I asked him, afraid he was spying.

"Oh nothing." He said with a mischievous smile. "You know that Kim's a sweet girl." He said.

I rolled my eyes.

"She's pretty, too." He said and raised his eyebrows.

"Night Pop." I said and walked upstairs.

I heard him chuckling as I walked away.

**IMPORTANT: Just so you guys know, Im not updating until I have 135 reviews for this story! That means I need 11 reviews until I update again! You can review on any chapter as long as you review!**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this and I'll update as soon as I can! :)**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! I updated! I just have to say that I love you all so much. I got 31 reviews on the last chapter! That is way beyond what I wanted so thank you! Also, a special shoutout goes to jackandkimforever for having the best review ever! Go check out their story "Can't Get You Out of My Head." It's a great story! Anyways, onto the story!**

**Jack Pov**

As I walked to my room, my date with Kim kept replaying in my head. Wait- did I say date? No it wasn't it a date. We were just hanging out as friends. Yeah, that's it.

I made my way over to my bed. I took my shirt off and changed into some comfortable pajama pants. I quickly brushed my teeth and flopped on my bed. Scenes from earlier wouldn't leave my mind.

I can't believe how caring Kim is. Most girls would've just given me pity about my whole family situation. They probably would've started acting weird around me and felt bad for me; Kim was different. I mean yeah she felt bad, but her comfort made me feel so much better. She even tried to help me with my whole college situation. Maybe I won't have to go to NCSU. Kim said she's going to USC, so maybe I could go there too! I mean I got in, so that's a good sign.

_Woah slow down Jack. You haven't even known this girl for that long and you're already starting to revolve your life around her. _I sighed and buried my head in my pillows.

What was my Pop hinting at when he said "she's a sweet girl" and "she's pretty?" I mean obviously she's sweet and pretty, so why did he have to tell me that? Also, why did he raise his eyebrows like that like he was hinting at something?

My mind was buzzing with questions and I was starting to get a major headache. I kept tossing and turning but I couldn't seem to fall asleep.

**Kim Pov**

The walk home was nice and quiet. It gave me some time to clear my head and think. Megan's going to wonder where I was and why I'm coming home late. What should I tell her? Should I tell her I was with Jack? I'm not sure how she would react to that. Why doesn't she want me going to their shop? Does it have something to do with Jack? Or maybe even Charlie? To play it safe, I decided not to tell her. I'll just say I was showing myself around town. That should be believable.

I made my way up to the house and walked in.

"Megan?" I called out.

I walked around the house, searching for Megan. I peeked through the sliding glass door near the back of the house. I saw Megan sitting at a table outside with a girl. She had straight long brown hair and brown eyes. I walked outside to see who the girl was.

"Hey Kim!" Megan said happily as I walked outside. She came up to me and gave me a big hug. I got a whiff of her breath and it smelled like alcohol, so I assumed she had been drinking.

"Kim, this is Grace!" Megan introduced us.

"Hi I'm Kim." She held out her hand for me to shake.

"Nice to meet you. Sorry about Megan. We were out with some friends and someone has to be the designated driver, and they decided it would be me." She told me.

"Well thanks for getting her home." I said. "I'm just gonna go to bed. Night!"

"Night Kim!" Megan shouted.

I walked back into the house before Megan could ask me any questions about where I was.

I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, and changed into black and white checkered pajama pants and a pink tank top.

I laid in bed thinking about earlier. It felt nice giving Jack advice. I think he really appreciated it. I could tell just by the way he hugged me. The way he pulled me into his chest as his strong arms wrapped around me. The way I wrapped my arms around his shoulders as I breathed in his cologne- okay getting off topic Kim. The only think that was off about him was the way he acted when we got to the diner. Why did he have a problem with it? I guess I could talk to him tomorrow. Wait- would he think I was clingy? I should probably give him some space. I mean I know we're friends and all, but hanging out three days in a row? What if he thinks I don't have a life or something? I tried to clear my head and go to sleep. I just had to clear my mind.

J**ack Pov**

I woke up the next morning to the sun shining through my window. I sat up in bed and stretched my upper body. I brushed a few strands of my messy bed head hair out of my face.

I got out of bed and hopped into the shower. After that, I slipped on a pair of jeans and a white v-neck and dried my hair with a towel.

I walked downstairs and saw Pop outside on the front porch, sitting in a rocking chair. I walked outside and took a seat in the chair next to him. He was sipping some coffee and reading the newspaper.

"Morning Pop." I said.

"Morning Jack." He replied, taking another sip of coffee.

"So whatcha gonna do today?" He asked. "Hangout with Kim?"

Of course he would say that.

"What makes you think I'm gonna hangout with Kim?" I questioned.

"I don't know. It seems like you guys have been getting kinda... close... lately." He said.

I rolled my eyes. "See ya later, Pop."

I started walking in the direction of Kim's house. Wait- bad idea. I can't go there! I just need to meet Kim somewhere... But where? I sighed. I'll just see if Kim is home.

**Kim Pov**

I woke up the next morning with a smile on my face, moments from the previous day replaying in my head.

I hopped out of bed and made my way to the kitchen. Megan was probably still sleeping, so I decided to make us a yummy breakfast. I whipped up some scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. I set the food on the table and grabbed the carton of orange juice. As I finished setting the table, Megan walked into the kitchen while yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"Hey kid." She greeted me.

"Hey Megs. I made us breakfast." I told her.

"Thanks." She said as she sat down.

We both grabbed some food and sat there in silence.

"So where were you yesterday?" Megan asked me.

Oh no. What do I tell her?

"I was just showing myself around town. You know, just trying to get familiar with everything." I lied.

"Were you with a certain boy?" Megan asked and winked.

_Did she know about Jack?_

"'Cause Jason is dying to ask you out. Were you with him?" She asked excitedly.

_Phew! That was close_.

"Oh, um- no. It was just me." I lied. I couldn't drag Jason into the story.

"Well I hope you had fun." Megan said before taking a sip of her orange juice.

"Yeah." I said.

We sat there and ate our breakfast while making some small talk. When we finished our breakfast, we decided to cleaned up the kitchen.

"Well I have to go to work at the restaurant at noon. You should stop by and we could have lunch together during my break." Megan said to me.

"Yeah, that sounds good. I'll do that!" I said.

"Great! Well I gotta get ready for work, kid." Megan said and walked towards her room.

I decided to get ready and walk around town before I met Megan for lunch.

I decided to wear a pink sundress that went down to about mid thigh. I put on some pearl earrings and straightened my hair. I also applied some mascara and lipgloss. By the time I was finished getting ready, it was about 11:30. I guess I could walk around a bit before I met Megan.

I slipped on some white sandals, grabbed my Tory Burch handbag, and headed out the door. I decided to check out some stores around town.

I walked into a small gift shop. There was an old woman with glasses standing behind the counter. She gave me a smile as I walked into the shop. I smiled back and looked around the store. There were a variety of different items including some jewelry, picture frames, and other knick-knacks. I walked over to a table with jewelry and looked at the selection.

I noticed a pair of silver starfish earrings and picked them up. I also saw a silver necklace and decided I would get it for Megan.

I grabbed my items and made my way over to the counter.

"Hello!" The old woman greeted me.

"Hi!" I said.

"Just these two items?" She asked.

I nodded.

"That'll be $10.12." She told me.

I handed her the money. She placed the jewelry in the bag and handed me the change and a receipt.

"Thanks!" I said and walked out of the shop.

I continued shopping for the next half hour.

**Jack Pov**

I had knocked on Kim's door but nobody answered. Realizing nobody was home, I walked through town and headed back to the shop. While walking through town, I spotted a familiar blonde exiting a gift shop. She had several bags in her hand from shopping.

"Hey Kim!" I said and approached her.

"Oh hey Jack! Couldn't get enough of me, could you?" She teased.

"Oh shut up!" I joked.

"I was actually about to go grab some lunch. Wanna come?" She asked.

I had to admit, it would be fun to hangout with Kim again.

"Sure! So is it just us, or..."

"Well Megan will be there too." She said.

"Oh..."

"Yeah, it's her lunch break so I decided to pay her a visit." She added.

"That's cool. I'll let you two have some bonding time, then." I said.

"No that's okay! You can join us if you want!" She told me.

"No, no that's okay. We can hangout later." I said.

"Okay!" She said happily. "Megan's lunch break ends at 1:30 I think. So just meet me at the restaurant then and we can walk somewhere."

I thought about it for a moment. Should I really go there? "Okay, sounds good." I gave in.

"Great! See you then!" She said with a smile before turning around and walking in the direction of the restaurant.

**Kim Pov**

I had to admit, I was kind of disappointed that Jack wouldn't come to lunch, but at least I would see him later.

I walked towards the restaurant and finally made it there. I saw Megan sitting at a table in the back; she was with someone. I walked up to the table and noticed that she was sitting with Jason Nickels.

"Hey Kim!" She stood up and greeted me with a hug.

"Hey!" I replied.

"Hey Kim." Jason said with a smile and a wink.

"Hi." I faked a smile. Seriously a wink? What's up with this guy?

"Here you can have my seat." Megan said.

I sat across from Jason while Megan sat next to me and across from an empty seat.

"I'll get us some food." Megan said and walked away.

Jason and I sat there in silence for a few minutes. I had to admit it felt kind of awkward being around him.

"So Kim, how do you like Southport?" He asked me.

"It's nice." I told him. "There's a lot of great people here." My mind immediately flashed to Jack and Charlie.

"Yeah, well I was hoping we could get to know each other better." He said as he reached over and grabbed my hand. I pulled away.

"Look Jason, I know about your whole reputation with girls." I said coldly.

"What reputation? Kim who told you that?" He asked.

"No one. I just heard it." I said. Did Jack lie about Jason being a player?

"Kim I can assure you that that's not true." He said and grabbed my hand again.

Megan came back and I pulled my hand away again. She had brought three sodas and three orders of burgers and fries.

"So... Whatcha guys talking about?" She asked.

"Kim was just telling me about how much she likes Southport." Jason said. _Liar._

For the next half hour we talked and ate, with Jason occasionally hitting on me. Towards the end of the meal, I started getting sick of the unwanted attention from him, so I excused myself.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom." I said and walked away.

It was about 1:30 so Jack should be here soon. When I reached the bathroom, I went to the mirror and did a quick makeup check. I reapplied some lipgloss and fixed my hair.

**Jack Pov**

It was about 1:20 so I decided to make my way over to the restaurant to get Kim. I passed through town and finally reached it. I carefully looked around. I didn't need any unnecessary drama from certain people right now. I peeked around a corner and saw Megan talking to Jason. Jason's here? I thought it was just Kim and Megan! Wait- where's Kim? I glanced around but I didn't see her. I turned my attention back to Jason and Megan.

"You have to ask her out!" Megan said.

"I know! I want to, but what if she says no?" He said.

"Come on Jason, you two would be so cute together!" Megan said happily.

Are they talking about Kim? Jason can't ask out Kim! He'll break her heart just like he did with every other girl in town!

"Okay I'll do it." He said nervously.

"Good luck!" Megan said before walking away. I quickly hid so I wouldn't be seen.

I looked around the corner again and saw Kim walk up to the table.

"Hey Kim!" Jason said flirtatiously.

"Hey." She said while collecting her things.

"Listen... I wanted to ask you something..." He said.

_Oh no._ Without thinking, I walked up to their table.

"Hey guys!" I said, interrupting them.

"Hey Jack!" Kim said happily.

"Hey." Jason said a little coldly.

"Well, Kim, we better go." I said and grabbed her hand, trying to pull her along.

"Wait." Jason said and grabbed her other hand.

_Oh no, he's gonna ask her out. We have to get out of here!_

I glanced over and saw Megan walking in our direction.

_Not good. Not good!_

I had to think fast. I decided it would be best to get out of here as soon as possible.

"Kim, meet me outside." I said quickly.

With that, I scampered away and went back to my spot around the corner. I had to keep an eye on Kim.

I watched as Megan walked up to them.

"So anyway Kim, I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me tomorrow night." Jason said.

Before Kim could say anything, Megan interrupted. "She'd love to!"

I saw Jason perk up and a huge smile spread across his face. "Great! I'll pick you up at eight!" He said and wrapped her in a hug.

I had to admit, I felt my stomach drop when I saw that. I didn't like the fact that he was hugging Kim. He seemed to have forced it on her and his hands wandered a little too low for my liking. Feeling defeated, I walked outside to wait for Kim.

**Kim Pov**

Jason wrapped me in a tight hug. It was a little weird and I didn't like the feeling; and on top of that, I felt his hands slide a little low. I quickly stepped away.

"Well, bye Kim!" He said with a wink and walked off before I could say anything.

I turned to Megan. "What the heck! Why would you do that?!" I yelled at her.

She looked a little surprised at my outburst. "Sorry Kim! I just thought you two would be so cute together and lets face it, you really need a boyfriend." She defended.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Thanks a lot." I said sarcastically and walked away.

**Jack Pov**

A few minutes later, Kim walked out of the restaurant.

"Hey, sorry about that, Jack. Why'd you run off?" She asked.

She looked so cute when she was confused. Her head tilted slightly to the side and her golden hair fell perfectly on her shoulders. Her bright eyes were big and brown and I couldn't look away from them.

Remembering her question, I finally responded. "Oh I just thought I'd give you two some privacy." I lied.

"Aw, you didn't have to do that." She said. "He asked me on a stupid date and Megan said I'd go." She said annoyed.

My stomach felt a little queasy when she said that. Kim would be going on a date with Jason. She would be all dolled up for him. She'd be looking drop dead gorgeous for a guy who's probably just using her to get in her pants. Suddenly, realization hit me.

_I think I have a crush on Kim Crawford._

**Well there you have it! I worked really hard on this chapter so I expect a lot if reviews! I'm not updating until I reach 170! That's 11 reviews needed! Remember you can review on any chapter, as long as I reach 170 I'll update.**

**Remember: check out Can't Get You Out of My Head by jackandkimforever!**

**This chapter might have been a little confusing, so if you have any questions, just ask!**

**Love y'all! ;)**

**PS: who watched Teen Wolf tonight? Seriously this episode freaked me out. **


	10. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! Sorry for not updating yesterday! I had this chapter all written out and I was about to post it, but IT GOT DELETED. So I had to rewrite it! But don't worry, this one is even better than the original. So enjoy! :)**

**Kim Pov**

I can't believe I have to go on a date with Jason. I can't believe Megan dragged me into it! I am so not looking forward to it! Jason just gives me a creepy vibe. Maybe I should cancel... No way. Megan would flip out if I did that. Also, what did she mean when she said "you need a boyfriend?" I'm perfectly fine on my own.

Jack and I were still standing outside the restaurant.

"So what do you wanna do?" He asked me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Well, I have to get a dress for tomorrow night. Wanna come?" I asked eagerly.

"No way!" Jack said.

**Jack Pov**

Kim seriously wanted me to go dress shopping with her? Guys don't go dress shopping. No way was that going to happen.

"Why not?" She asked.

She looked so cute when she was confused. The way her head tilted slightly to the left as her hair fell across her shoulder. Her eyes were big and bright and I couldn't look away from them.

"Kim, if you haven't noticed, I'm a guy. Guys don't go dress shopping.

"Please?" She begged. She was adorable when she begged. I almost have in then and there.

"Well..." I started.

She seemed to perk up at my change of heart. She even smiled in victory.

"Nope!" I said and smirked.

"Jaaaaaack!" Kim whined.

"Kiiiiiiiiim!" I mimicked her tone.

She stuck her bottom lip out and made her big brown eyes wide. It was by far the cutest puppy dog face I had ever seen.

"Please?" She begged again.

Say no, say no!

"Fine!" I gave in. I couldn't help it! She made the puppy dog face!

"Really? Yay!" She said and gave me a quick hug. Warmth spread through me and I hugged her back.

"Where's the closest mall?" She asked as she pulled away, taking the warm feeling with her.

"Like 20 minutes away." I replied. "Come on, we'll take the truck."

I grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of my house. Suddenly, she pulled her hand away.

"No way! We are not taking that rust bucket on wheels!" She said. "We can take Megan's car. Come on!" She pulled me in the direction her house.

The walk there was short as we made some small talk. I started getting a little nervous the closer we got.

"Is Megan home?" I asked when we finally reached the house.

"No, she's at work." Kim replied.

I relaxed a little. Megan must walk to work; that's why the car is here.

"I'll be right back." Kim said as she walked inside to grab the keys.

**Kim Pov**

I don't know why, but I really wanted Jack there to help me. I guess I just felt comfortable around him. Plus if it means I get to spend more time with him, why not?

I grabbed the keys and headed outside again. Jack was standing by the passenger door. I tossed him the keys. He looked at me with a confused expression on his face.

"What? I don't know how to get there, so you drive." I explained.

He nodded and walked to the drivers side. Once we were seated in the car and were all buckled up, we pulled out of the driveway and drove off.

The drive there was quiet. I was getting kind of tired of the silence, but I didn't know what to say, so I decided to turn on the radio, I guess Jack had the same idea, because when I reached for the button my hand touched his.

"Sorry." He mumbled before pulling his hand away. I pushed the ON button, not missing the blush covering his cheeks.

In fact, my cheeks were feeling kind of warm, too. It was probably just the heat. Aiming to cool myself off, I rolled down the window, the cool breeze blowing across my face.

**Jack Pov**

I blushed when Kim's hand met mine and I think it was very noticeable.

Just focus on the road, Jack. I told myself.

Unfortunately, Kim rolled down the window. Her hair blew around, the golden locks cascading across her shoulders beautifully. The breeze blew the scent of her perfume throughout the car and I could distinctly smell the smell of vanilla.

Just focus on the road, Jack. I told myself again.

About 20 minutes later, we finally reached the mall. Kim and I got out of the car and walked towards the entrance. We met the cool air as we opened the glass doors.

"So where to, first?" I asked unenthusiastically.

"Aw come on, Jack. This is gonna be fun!" She said happily.

"Yeah right." I muttered.

"What was that?" Kim asked.

"Oh, nothing." I replied.

"Listen here, grouchy pants. I didn't invite you along so I could listen to complaining all day. Now lets go!" She said and pulled me along to the first store.

The store was big and had a ton of dresses. There were dresses hanging on the wall, on racks, everywhere!

I looked over and realized Kim was gone. She was probably somewhere in the store looking for dresses. I decided to try to be helpful and I looked around for some dresses for Kim.

Aiming to annoy Kim, I picked out a very slutty dress and showed it to her. It was a very short black dress that had an open back.

"Hey Kim, I think this dress would look really good on you." I said as I held it up.

"Very funny, Jack." She said as she rolled her eyes.

I chuckled at her response.

After a few more minutes of shopping, Kim had picked out three dresses and we made our way over to the dressing room.

Kim went into one of the stalls while I sat on a small leather couch outside of the room.

A few minutes passed by and Kim finally came out of the dressing room. I tried to stifle a laugh as I looked at the girl in front of me.

Kim was wearing a bubblegum pink dress that went down to her knees. The bottom part puffed out extremely far.

"I have no idea what I was thinking when I picked out this dress." She confessed.

"Come on Kim, it's not that bad. You kinda look like cotton candy." I said, letting a few chuckles escape my lips.

She shot daggers at me which only made me laugh harder.

"What? Everyone loves cotton candy!" I said.

She rolled her eyes and went back to the dressing room.

After a few more minutes of waiting, Kim came out of the dressing room. My eyes practically popped out of my head when I saw what she was wearing.

"There is no way in hell am I letting you wear that." I said sternly.

She had on the same black dress that I had held up earlier when I was messing with her. The dress just covered her butt and her entire back was exposed.

"Why? I think I look hot." She said cockily.

You're not the only one who thinks that.

Really Jack?

"I am not letting you wear that out in public!" I told her as I tried to tear my eyes away from her.

"And why not?" She said with an attitude.

"Guys will look at you like you're a piece of meat! Now go change!" I told her.

She was silent for a moment before she spoke. "Fine." She said and went back to the dressing room.

Several minutes passed and I heard Kim squeal excitedly. "This is definitely the one!" She said as she came out of the dressing room.

My jaw dropped when I saw her. She was wearing a black dress that went down to the middle of her thigh. It had two straps that met at the back of her neck. The bottom of the dress flowed outward slightly. It wasn't an extremely extravagant dress, but she made it look like it costed a million bucks.

"You're beautiful." I managed to speak out.

"Thanks." She said.

**Kim Pov**

I felt a blush creep up to my cheeks when Jack called me beautiful. He didn't say I _looked_ beautiful. He _called me_ beautiful! He didn't say hot or sexy or smokin'; he said _beautiful_. I felt butterflies in my stomach as I saw that Jack away still staring.

"I'm gonna go change." I said shyly as I walked back to the dressing room.

Once I finished changing back into my normal clothes, we headed toward the counter to see the saleslady.

"That'll be $63.60." She told me.

I tug around in my purse for my wallet. I pulled it out but only found a fifty dollar bill and a five dollar bill.

"I only have $55." I said sheepishly.

"Hang on one sec." Jack said as he pulled out his wallet. "Here's a ten." He gave it to the cashier.

She put the dress in a bag and gave Jack the change. We walked out of the store and stopped walking.

"So... It's five o'clock. Wanna grab an earlier dinner?" Jack asked.

"Sure." I said and bit my lip.

Stupid nervous habit!

We walked to an Italian pizza place. It wasn't in the food court, it was an actual restaurant which was nice. We ordered two pieces a pizza, a sweet tea for me, and a coke for Jack.

"So are you excited for your date tomorrow?" Jack asked as we ate.

"Ugh, don't remind me." I said disgustedly.

"Come on, I'm sure you'll have fun. I know for a fact that if your wearing that dress, you'll look stunning." He said.

I smiled at his comment and continued to eat my pizza.

We continued to make small talk and eat for ten more minutes, then we decided to go. The waitress came over with our check and Jack pulled out his wallet for the second time today.

"Jack don't pay. First the dress and now this? I can't let you do that." I said.

"Well, considering the fact that you spent all if your money on that dress, I think I kind of have to pay." He said and winked.

"Right." I said sheepishly.

We headed out of the mall and made it back to the car. The drive home was quiet. Honestly, I think we were both too tired from shopping to talk.

**Jack Pov**

The drive home was quiet. I kept trying to think of something to start a conversation with, but I was afraid something stupid would come out. I sighed and focused on the road.

After about five minutes into the drive home, I noticed Kim had fallen asleep. He arm was leaning against the window and she had her head on her hand. I smiled at her cuteness.

We finally made it back to my house fifteen minutes later.

"Kim." I whispered as I tried to shake her awake. She finally opened her eyes after a few seconds and smiled.

"Good morning sleepyhead." I teased.

"Sorry." She smiled meekly.

"Are you sure you can drive back to your house?" I asked concerned.

She nodded. We both got out of the car. Pop wasn't on the front porch so he must've been inside.

"Thanks for the wonderful day Jack." Kim said as she gave me a hug.

I wrapped her in a warm embrace and the scent of vanilla filled my nose. I smiled at the familiar smell.

When we finally let go, I handed her the keys.

**Kim Pov**

"Bye Jack." I said.

"See ya." He said as I walked to the car. "Oh and Kim.."

I turned around and saw his mischievous smile.

"Remember, I get to pick what we're doing tomorrow." He reminded me.

_Oh no, I am not looking forward to tomorrow._

**There you have it! Also, thank you for all of the reviews on the last chapter! Right now I'm at 180, so I _would_ say I'll update at 190, but because I had to rewrite this, I'll update at 195! That's 15 reviews! I know y'all can do it! Love ya! :) By the way, I'll probably update tomorrow! If not, then I will on Friday for sure!**


	11. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for all of the awesome reviews! Guess what... We broke 200! Sorry for not updating yesterday! But here's the next chapter :)**

**Kim Pov**

I woke up the next morning, already eager for the day to be over. I did not want to go on that stupid date with Jason tonight. However, I had to admit, I was kind of excited to hangout with Jack. I was anxious to see what he had planned for us I do. What if it's something gross like mudding or hiking? Hopefully it'll be fun.

**Jack Pov**

I wanted my day with Kim to be fun, so I tried to think of something we would both like. After several minutes of thinking, I decided to ask Pop for help.

I walked outside, only to find him sitting on the porch in his rocking chair, where he normally was.

"Mornin' Jack." He said to me as I took a seat in the rocking chair next to him.

"Morning." I replied.

Pop was reading the newspaper while eating some bacon that was sitting on the table in between us.

"You know Pop, you really shouldn't be eating that stuff; it's not good for you." I said concerned.

"Nonsense Jack. The ole ticker is as strong as ever." Pop said while hitting his chest.

I sighed. There was no use in arguing with him. Pop has always been overweight and he's always had bad eating habits, but there was no use trying to help him; he was too stubborn to listen.

"Pop, what would you do if you were hanging out with a certain girl and you had to plan something fun to do for the day?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

He thought about it for a moment, then spoke, "That depends... Do you have feelings for this certain girl?" He asked.

I thought to myself. Well, I did get jealous when Jason asked her out and I couldn't stop staring at her when she was trying on dresses. She was by far the most beautiful, intelligent, sweet, caring girl I've ever met.

"Yes." I admitted.

Pop smirked, obviously happy that I had finally admitted it. "Well, then I would take her on a romantic picnic at the lake."

"That's a great idea! Thanks Pop." I said and ran inside to collect the necessary things for the picnic.

I grabbed a picnic blanket, made sandwiches, and took some other snacks. Once everything was inside the basket, I went to the lake to set everything up.

**Kim Pov**

It was very early in the morning when I got out of bed. It was now around 8:00 and I already ate breakfast, took a shower, and got dressed.

Megan was working an early shift at work, so she was gone, leaving me home alone yet again. I had plans to go to Jack's later, but I didn't know what time. I mean it was eight o'clock in the morning! What if he was still sleeping? I thought about it for a moment and decided I would go to Jack's at 12 o'clock.

For the next four hours, I tried to keep myself busy and think of things to do; I cleaned up, watched some TV, and did some reading. By the time 12 o'clock rolled around, I was all ready to go. I looked in the mirror for a final check. I was wearing a navy blue sundress with mini flowers all over it and a brown belt. I strapped on some sandals that matched the belt. I wore light makeup an my hair was curled to perfection. Satisfied with my look, I left the house and made my way to Jack's.

The entire way there I was thinking about what Jack had planned for us. Would it be something romantic? I don't know if he likes me like that. Although, he did take me on a canoe ride at the lake and we did have dinner together at the diner. Could he like me like that? Did I like him like that? I mean I like his luscious brown hair, his big brown eyes, and that perfect smile of his; but I didn't just like his appearance. There was something about him that made me feel safe and comfortable; like I could be my complete self around him. Forget it. If I fall for him, he probably won't like me back and I'll just get my heart broken.

As my intense thinking session ended, I finally arrived at Jack's house. I didn't see him or Charlie out front, so I assumed they must be inside.

I walked inside and saw Charlie behind the counter, tending to some customers. I waited until he was done helping them to say something.

"Hey Charlie!" I said happily, walking over to the counter.

"Well hey there, Kim!" He greeted me with a big smile on his face. Over the past few days, I've really started to like Charlie. Don't get me wrong, I've liked him since day one, but he's really grown on me.

"Where's Jack?" I asked.

"Oh he's out back, loading up the truck." He told me.

"Thanks." I said and made my way outside to the back.

I walked up to the truck where Jack was. He kept loading up the truck, completely oblivious that I was standing there. He was putting some fishing poles in the trunk. There were also several bait buckets in the back.

"Hey Jack!" I said.

He turned his attention to me and his face lit up. "Hey Kim!" He said and smiled.

"So, I guess we're fishing..." I stated.

"Yep!" He said happily. "Wait- you're okay with this, right? I mean we can do something else if you-"

"No Jack, it's fine! Fishing sounds good." I said, faking enthusiasm. Did I really want to go fishing? No. But if its with Jack, I'm sure it would be fun. I mean I was really hoping for something romantic, but I guess he didn't see me in that way.

"Great!" He said with a mischievous smile. "Well, looks like we're good to go. Come on!"

He got in the driver's side while I sat in the passengers seat.

"It won't break down this time, right?" I said, referring to the truck.

"No promises." He joked.

"If we break down I'm making you carry me back." I warned and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Oh god, I don't think I can lift that much weight." He teased with a playful smile on his face.

I punched him in the arm. "Jerk." I said, while trying to keep a straight face.

"Ow!" He said while rubbing the spot where I punched him. "I'm just kidding Kim, you're perfect."

I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not, so I just smiled. Did he mean it as in my weight? Or did he mean it in all seriousness, like when he called me beautiful?

I pondered what he could have meant by that for the rest of the ride to the lake. My thoughts were interrupted by Jack as he got out of the car.

"You coming?" He asked.

I looked out the window and realized we were already at the lake. I nodded. Jack went to the back of the truck to get the supplies and I figured I'd help him.

I walked around to the back of the truck and saw Jack, just standing there.

"What are you doing?" I asked, wondering why he wasn't getting the fishing poles.

"Well... We're not actually gonna be fishing today." He said.

I was confused. If we weren't going to be fishing, why did he bring fishing poles and bait?

"I brought this stuff to make it look like we'd be fishing." He said, answering my thoughts.

"So, if we're not fishing, what are we doing?" I asked suspiciously.

He didn't answer my question. "Turn around." Was all he said.

I did as I was told and waited for Jack to continue with his scheme. A few seconds later, I felt a blindfold being put over my eyes. Feeling a little nervous, I started to question Jack again.

"Jack?" I asked nervously.

I heard him chuckle. "Relax Kim."

I did as I was told and relaxed. Jack wouldn't hurt me or try anything weird, so there was no need to question him. It's not like he was some psycho killer who would lead me to a private area and murder me. I trusted Jack 100%.

"Jack, what are we doing?" I asked again.

He chuckled once again. "You'll see." He whispered in my ear. I felt his warm breath on my neck and it sent shivers down my spine. Not bad shivers, good shivers. I felt butterflies and my cheeks started to heat up.

"Do you trust me?" He whispered in my ear again. The familiar shivers came back.

"Yes." I told him.

"Well then let's go." He said.

With that, we started walking as he led me to who knows where.

**I know it's kinda short but I really wanted to post something today. I was planning on adding a lot more, but if I did that I would've posted tomorrow instead. Plus I promised you guys a chapter today! Okay so I have 203 reviews right now, so I'll update at 215! That's 12 reviews! I'll probably update Sunday or Monday... I guess we'll see how many reviews I get ;)**


	12. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! I am so sorry for not updating sooner! I've had a lot going on and I didn't really have time to update. Anyways, here's chapter 11! Enjoy!**

**Kim Pov**

Jack continued to lead me to the unknown place. I knew it had to be somewhere near the lake since that's where we parked. I don't understand why he blindfolded me. I mean, I've been here before, so I've already seen what it looks like. What could he be up to?

We walked for a few more minutes and I began growing impatient.

"Are we almost there?" I whined.

"Yup. It's right up here." He told me.

"You're not gonna run me into a tree or anything, right?" I asked.

He laughed. "No promises."

I would've glared at him if it weren't for the stupid blindfold covering my eyes.

After a few more seconds of walking, we finally stopped.

"Can I take the blindfold off now?" I asked him.

"Yup!" He said.

I untied the blindfold and pulled it off my head. I smiled at the sight in front of me.

Under a large tree, there was a picnic set up. It was in a shady spot by the lake. A red sheet was laid out on the grass and there was a picnic basket on top of it. He set up an entire picnic for us!

"Do you like it?" He asked kind of nervously. He was probably afraid that I wouldn't.

I turned around and gave him a hug.

"I love it." I said happily. He relaxed a bit.

"Come on." He said and grabbed my hand. He led me under the tree where the picnic was set up.

It was a beautiful day. It was slightly warm but the shade under the tree mixed with the cool breeze created the perfect temperature. I closed my eyes for a few seconds to take everything in. The breeze blew across my neck as I thought about everything. I can't believe Jack tricked me into thinking we would be going fishing, when we were actually going to have a picnic by the lake. The things this boy does amazes me. The more I think about it, the more I think that maybe... I could be falling for him.

"Kim?" Jack said softly.

"Hmm." I replied, still lost in my thoughts.

"You hungry?" He asked.

I smiled and opened my eyes. "Yeah."

He opened the picnic basket and started unloading it. He took out a few ham and cheese sandwiches, some fruit, raisins, and some lemonade. Once everything was set out, we started eating.

"So... Are you excited for tonight?" Jack asked after several minutes of silence.

I took a bite of a strawberry and rolled my eyes. "Oh yeah, totally!" I said sarcastically.

He chuckled. "Maybe it won't be as bad as you think."

I sighed. "I hope not. But hey, a rich guy is taking me out to dinner; I'm sure the food will be delicious."

Jack laughed. "Yeah, bring me back a lobster." He joked.

I smiled at his humor. We sat there in a comfortable silence until I spoke again.

"I just don't want him to get the wrong impression, you know?" I said. "I mean yeah he's nice to me, but I don't see anything happening between us. I'm afraid that after the date, he'll assume there's something more going on."

Jack nodded.

**Jack Pov**

After hearing what Kim just said, I felt a ton of weight being lifted off my shoulders. I always had this thought in the back of my mind that she might fall for Jason and his stupid rich boy money, but hearing what she just told me, I guess he doesn't stand a chance.

Soon, Kim and I finished off the sandwiches and we were now causally eating the fruit and raisins. I noticed Kim start to smile while she was eating a handful of raisins.

"Um.. Kim? Are you okay? Why are you smiling?" I asked, confused.

She looked up at me and continued to smile. "These raisins remind me of the first day we met." She said. "I remember I bought them from your store and you told me you were the only person in your family who likes raisins." **(AN: Refer back to chapter three when they first met)**

I felt my cheeks begin to heat up and I rubbed my neck. "Yeah.. I'm not really sure why I said that; it just kinda came out. I guess I just get nervous around pretty girls." I said. Let's face it- if I ever want to be more than friends with Kim, I should start flirting a lot more, right? Or will it freak her out? Oh god, that probably freaked her out! Way to go, Jack!

I decided not to make eye contact. Kim didn't say anything, she just smiled. That's a good sign, right?

**Kim Pov**

Jack just called me pretty... That's like the third time he's done that. Does that mean he likes me? The thought kept occupying my mind.

Jack and I finished our food and we packed everything up. We made our way back to the truck while making small talk. The drive home was normal; we talked, joked around, and laughed. Before we knew it, we were in my driveway.

"Well, bye Jack." I said with a smile.

He returned it. "See ya, Kim. Good luck on your date."

I got out of the car and walked into the house, but not without giving Jack a wave before going inside.

I looked at the clock hanging on the wall and saw that it was 7:30. Jason would be here in an hour. I took a shower, straightened my hair, and did my makeup. I decided to make my makeup a little heavier than usual, since I would be going out. I used eye liner, mascara, a bit of eyeshadow, and finished off my look with some lipgloss. I went to my closet and took out my new dress. Just looking at it made me think of that day at the mall with Jack and how much fun it was. I smiled to myself and put the dress on. I strapped on some black heels and grabbed my purse. I looked in the mirror for a final check. Satisfied with my look, I walked to the living room to sit and wait for Jason.

I guess you could say I was kind of excited for my date. I mean sure it was with Jason, but I got to get all dressed up and I get free food? That sounds good to me!

My thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. I opened it up and met Jason's smiling face.

"You look beautiful, Kim." He said sweetly.

"Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself." I told him.

He was wearing a nice pair of khakis and a button up shirt.

"Ready to go? He asked.

"Yep!" I locked the door and we walked to his car. I had to admit, it was a very nice car. I guess you can have expensive things when your dad is filthy rich. Once we got in the car, Jason pulled out of my driveway and we headed towards the restaurant.

"So where are we going?" I asked.

"It's a really nice Italian place. You'll love it." He said happily.

The minute we pulled up to the restaurant, I was shocked. You could tell it was a very expensive restaurant just by looking at the outside.

We had a valet park the car. Jason grabbed my hand and led me to the entrance.

"We have a reservation." Jason told the hostess. "8:45 for Jason Nickels."

We were led to a table by a window. The window gave you a beautiful view of the bay. The sun had just set, and you could see the lights on some boats in the water.

We sat down and the waitress gave us our menus.

"I'll be right back to take your order." She said before walking off.

I scanned the menu, looking for something that sounded good, but wasn't too expensive; that was hard, considering everything on the menu costed a lot.

"Um, Jason, are you sure this is okay? Everything here is really expensive." I said.

He grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "You can have whatever you want, Kim."

I faked a smile and returned my hand to the menu. I really didn't want to make it seem like I wanted more than a friendship with Jason, but I don't think he's getting the idea.

After a few minutes of looking over the menu, the waitress came back to take our orders. I ordered a $30 plate of fettuccine Alfredo and Jason ordered a $50 plate of crispy Parmesan shrimp.

_Talk about expensive._

Jason and I sat there for a few minutes, not saying anything. To be honest, I didn't really know what to talk about.

**Jack Pov**

I was sitting in my bed thinking about Kim. She's on a date with Jason at this very moment. I wonder what they're doing. What if he tries to make a move? Would Kim reject him or would she- I don't even want to think about it. I fumbled with my phone and tossed it back and forth. I sighed and continued to think about Kim. Jason's no good for her. She deserves someone who respects her and cares for her. Not some pretty rich boy who just wants to use her. Maybe I should call Kim to see if she's alright. I dialed Kim's number and was about to call until I thought of something; what if she thinks I'm being clingy? I mean, calling her when I know she's on a date? I sighed and put my phone down. Maybe I should just sleep. The sooner I fall asleep, the sooner I can stop thinking about Kim.

I closed my eyes and relaxed my body. I laid there for who knows how long and tried to fall asleep. Every time I came close to falling asleep, my mind would drift back to Kim and would be wide awake again.

A few minutes later, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. A part of me was hoping that it was Kim already home from her date and coming to see me, but I knew that was unlikely. It must be Pop. The store was closed and he knew Kim was out on her date with Jason (I kinda vented to him earlier about how mad I was about it), so he was probably coming to check on me.

"Jack." I heard Pop say quietly, as if it was hard for him to speak.

I sat up and looked at Pop standing in the doorway. He had a worried look on his face and he was clutching his chest.

"Help." He said.

**Kim Pov**

"So... How do you know Megan?" I asked, trying to make conversation with Jason.

"Well, we went to high school together. Plus this is a small town, so everybody knows everybody." He explained.

I nodded understandingly.

"So... How does Jack feel about you going out with me?" He asked with a cocky smirk on in his face.

"Oh... He's fine with it." I lied. "Yeah, he was actually really happy for me. He even helped me pick out this dress." I knew Jack didn't want me going out with Jason, but if I told Jason that, I bet he would be really cocky about it and annoy Jack.

"Really? It didn't seem like he was fine with it when I asked you out at the restaurant." He said. My mind flashed back to that day. "I remember how he tried to pull you away before I could finish what I had to say to you."

"Well, I guess he had a change of heart." I said.

Our conversation was interrupted by the sound of my phone ringing. I looked at the caller ID.

"Speaking of Jack, he's calling me. Sorry, I think I should take this." I said.

I answered the phone, not missing Jason roll his eyes.

"Kim?" Jack said. He sounded worried and panicked.

"Jack? Is everything okay?" I asked, my heart beating a little faster than normal.

"Kim..." He said. It sounded like he was fighting back tears. "Kim, Pop's in the hospital."

My heart dropped. "What?!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"He had a heart attack."

**Thanks for all of the amazing reviews on the last chapter! It really means a lot to know that you guys are enjoying this story. I want you guys to know that I don't mean to sound like an obsessive person who really wants reviews, because that is not what I want you guys to think. I only ask for reviews so I know people are still interested in the story. Anyways, I got 20 reviews on the last chapter, so thank you! **

**I'll update once this story is at 245 reviews! So I need 18 more! I know that's more than what I usually ask for, but I worked super hard on this chapter! **

**I'm leaving to go on vacation on Saturday and I won't be back until Thursday. I most likely won't have time to write since I'll be busy, but I'll try to update as soon as possible. I'll make you guys a deal. If this story gets 250 reviews, ill update tomorrow or Saturday. Sound good? Okay I'm gonna end this long note. Bye :)**


	13. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! Thank you SO MUCH for all of the reviews! I asked for 18 and you guys have me 36! You doubled it! I promised you a chapter, so here's your chapter! I worked really hard so I hope you like it! :)**

**By the way, sorry about the cliffy on the last chapter. I couldn't resist putting one there! ;) By the way, this chapter has a tiny bit of info about a heart attack. I actually researched a little bit about heart attacks so I would have the right information in the story. So if there's anything wrong with the info, my apologies, blame the Internet. **

**Okay on with the story! **

**Kim Pov**

"A heart attack?!" I nearly screamed into the phone.

"Kim, please come down here. I need you, please." Jack said pleadingly.

"I'll be right there, Jack. Everything will be okay. I promise." I said reassuringly. I hung up the phone and put it on silent. I really didn't need any distractions right now.

Did I know everything was going to be okay? Of course not. I just really needed Jack to stay calm. He's lost so much in his life. If he loses his grandfather, I don't know what he'll do.

"Jason, we need to get out of here, now." I said sternly.

"What? Why? Kim I don't want to go. I'm having a great time here with you." He said and grabbed my hand.

I immediately ripped it away. "Jason, Jack's grandfather is in the hospital and I have to see Jack. Now." I said while grabbing my purse.

"Really? His grandfather happens to be in the hospital the exact same night as our date? Kim, don't you think Jack might be making that up so you'll leave?" He asked.

_Seriously? He did not just say that._

"Jason, I know Jack and Jack wouldn't make this up just to get me out of some date. We have to go. Now." I said harshly.

"Okay, fine. We need to get the check though." He told me.

Jason walked up to our waitress and asked her to get us our check. We waited a few minutes at the table. I was completely silent while Jason kept trying to calm me down.

"Listen Kim, I'm sorry for accusing Jack of-"

"Whatever." I cut him off. Honestly, I didn't want to hear what he had to say.

Within a few minutes, Jason paid the check and we walked outside. The valet brought us the car and we hurried inside. The hospital wasn't too far from the restaurant, so it wouldn't take very long to get there, especially because I was making Jason drive at an insane speed. I'm actually surprised that we didn't get pulled over.

Within a few minutes, we had parked and we were rushing towards the front doors. I'm not quite sure why Jason decided to come. I guess it was kind of nice that he stayed, but I definitely wasn't expecting it. We ran through the front doors and I saw Jack waiting for us.

"Jack!" I called to him.

His eyes immediately met mine and I ran up to him. I flung my arms around his neck and he wrapped his around my waist, while burying his face in my neck. We stayed there, not saying anything. There was really nothing to say. He just needed someone to be there for him, and that would be me.

He held on to me tight, as if his life depended on it. But hey, I wasn't complaining. I liked the feeling of being wrapped in Jack's warm embrace. I liked his smell. I liked being this close to him.

Our moment was rudely interrupted by the sound of Jason clearing his throat.

Way to go, Jason.

Jack and I pulled away from each other, but I didn't miss the way he rolled his eyes at Jason.

"So..." He said awkwardly. "Sorry about your grandfather."

"Thanks." Jack said flatly. It was pretty obvious that he didn't want him here.

I turned my attention back to Jack. My hand was on the back of his neck while the other rested on his arm. His eyes met mine and I gave him a sympathetic look.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly.

He shook his head. "Kim, what if he doesn't make it? What will I do? If he di-"

"Shhh." I cut him off. "He'll be okay. Just think positive."

Jack nodded.

"Why don't we go wait in the waiting room?" I asked him.

He nodded again, probably too upset to say anything.

The three of us walked to the waiting room and took a seat. I sat in a chair with Jack on my right and Jason on my left.

Talk about awkward. I had to find a way to break the silence, plus I want to find out more about the heart attack.

"Jack, have you talked to a doctor?" I asked, concerned.

"Yeah. They said they had to undergo a routine bypass operation... Whatever that means. It's supposed to take a few hours." He told me.

What are we supposed to do for the next few hours? I can't stand to see Jack like this for one more minute let alone a few more hours.

I grabbed Jack's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Um, I think I'm gonna go get something from the cafeteria." Jason said and stood up. "You guys want anything?"

We both shook our heads. Jason walked out of the waiting room and towards the cafeteria, leaving me and Jack alone.

"Why is he here?" Jack asked bitterly.

"I don't know. I didn't invite him, he just kinda came with me. I know you probably don't want him here, I'm sorry." I said sincerely.

"It's okay. I guess he's not doing any harm, so it's fine." Jack said.

A few moments went by and neither one of us said a word. I've never been in this situation before, so I didn't really know what to say. I didn't want to accidentally upset him.

"So... Did you bring me a lobster?" Jack asked.

_What?_

"What? Why would I- I'm sorry, I didn't-"

He started chuckling and I was confused. Why did he think I would bring him a lobster? Then I remembered what he said when we were having that picnic.

_"So... Are you excited for tonight?" Jack asked after several minutes of silence._

_I took a bite of a strawberry and rolled my eyes. "Oh yeah, totally!" I said sarcastically._

_He chuckled. "Maybe it won't be as bad as you think."_

_I sighed. "I hope not. But hey, a rich guy is taking me out to dinner; I'm sure the food will be delicious."_

_Jack laughed. "Yeah, bring me back a lobster." He joked._

I smiled at the memory.

"I'm sorry, I didn't bring you a lobster." I said playfully.

He faked a hurt face and I jokingly rolled my eyes.

**Jack Pov**

Words cannot describe how happy I am that Kim came to see me. I mean I would be a lot happier if Jason wasn't here, but it's not her fault. I guess he felt bad. Just having Kim sitting here with me made me feel a whole lot better. Maybe everything will turn out okay; it has to. I don't know what I'll do if something happens to Pop.

Kim smiled at my lobster joke and I was glad that she remembered. We were sitting there in silence and she was still holding my hand. I really didn't want her to let go; it just felt so right.

I was enjoying our moment until I saw Jason come back.

"So Kim, are you ready to go?" He asked.

_Kim's leaving?_

"Um... Actually I think I'm gonna stay here with Jack." She told him.

_Good answer, Kim_.

"What?" He asked in disbelief. "We never even got to finish our date, though."

"We'll do it some other time. Right now, I want to be here with Jack. For God's sake, his grandfather just had a heart attack! Would you show a little concern?" Kim said.

Jason just stood there with a hard expression on his face. "Okay, fine." He said. "Bye guys."

"I can't stand him." I muttered as soon as Jason was out of sight.

"I know, but he's gone now. He won't bother you anymore." Kim said.

I nodded.

"So... What are we gonna do for the next few hours?" Kim asked.

I thought about it. I'm not very hungry and Kim just ate, so the cafeteria is out of the question. What is there to do at a hospital?

I looked over at Kim and saw her yawn. Her eyes fluttered shut and she rested the back of her head on the wall.

I smiled at her cuteness. "Ya know, Kim, you can go home if you want. You don't have to stay here with me. I'll be fine." I said.

The truth is, I didn't want Kim to leave, I wanted her to stay with me all night.

Her eyes opened and she smiled. "No way. I'm staying right here."

I smiled at her. She had no idea how happy that made me. Knowing she would rather stay here with me instead of going home and getting to sleep in her own bed, gave me some confidence.

I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her into my chest. She instantly relaxed and snuggled up to me. I was glad that she couldn't see my face. Otherwise, she would've seen the not at all subtle blush on my face.

Within a few minutes, I could feel her breathing start to slow down and she snuggled deeper into my chest. She was probably asleep by now.

I felt my eyes weighing down and my head leaned back against the wall. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.

I woke up and looked around. There were still some people in the waiting room; some were sleeping and others were casually talking with what I assumed were friends or family. Then my attention was directed towards the delicate blonde sleeping on my chest. I smiled to myself. I ran my fingers through her hair and she shifted. She looked up and her big brown eyes met mine. I smiled and she returned it.

"Hey sleepyhead." I said.

She yawned. "What time is it?"

I glanced at the clock. "Almost one in the morning."

She nodded in understanding.

"Kim, you should go home and rest." I told her.

"No Jack. I'm not leaving." She replied.

We sat there for a few moments until I noticed a middle aged man in a white coat walking up to us.

"Hello, are you Jack Brewer?" He asked.

This must be Pop's doctor.

"Yeah. How's my grandpa?" I asked nervously.

My heart was beating very quickly as I waited for the answer.

"Jack, don't worry. You're grandfather is fine. Everything went well and he's been in Intensive Care for an hour. We've just moved him to a room where you and your friend will be able to visit him." He informed us.

I felt a thousand pounds lifted off my shoulders as I heard that Pop was okay.

"Great! When can we see him?" I asked eagerly.

"Well, you can see him now if you would like to. Just follow me." He told us.

Kim and I followed right behind him as he led us to Pop's room.

"He's sleeping now, so make sure you stay quiet." The doctor said.

We quietly opened the door, and there he was; Pop was sound asleep, resting. He looked so weak and helpless. It broke my heart to see him in this condition.

I took a seat in a chair and pulled it up to the side of the bed. Kim stood next to me with her hand on my shoulder. I took Pop's hand and squeezed it. Tears threatened to spill over, but I wouldn't let them fall. I had to stay strong.

I couldn't believe any of this had happened. I know Pop isn't the healthiest guy in the world, but I would have never thought that he would have a heart attack. I can't even imagine what I would've done if Pop had died. Suddenly, I realized something. If Pop had actually died, that would have been one more person who I loved that I lost. I can't lose another person or even risk losing someone. I know what has to happen.

I can't see Kim anymore.

**Hope you guys liked this chapter! So basically Jack is afraid that he'll lose Kim, so he wants stop seeing her before he gets too attached. It'll explain why in the next chapter. **

**Anyways, we're at 263 reviews, so I'll update at 275! That's 12 reviews! However, I won't be able to update until Thursday. There's a very slim chance that I'll be able to on Wednesday but don't count on it.**

**So anyways, hope you guys liked the chapter! :)**


	14. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! I am so sorry for taking so long to update, but I had a lot going on. I was on vacation till Thursday, then I pretty much slept the next two days cause I was so exhausted, then I had to work and was way too tired to update, so sorry about that! I actually had this whole chapter written two days ago but I accidentally deleted it and had to rewrite it, so I hope it's as good as when I first wrote it!**

**By the way, I think some of you guys are disappointed that I made Jack want to stop seeing Kim because its "overused" and "in a lot of stories" but I can assure you that I hate using overused ideas or topics in my story. The only reason why I put it in this story is because it's an important part and it fits Jack's character. Plus, most stories that have that idea are usually completely focused around Jack not wanting to see Kim or vice versa. Okay, so that's my explanation to those of you who made a comment about that. I'm sorry of this sounded mean at all, I meant it in the nicest way possible.**

**Okay, so enjoy the chapter!**

**Jack Pov**

I know it sounds crazy saying that I can't see Kim anymore, but think about it. Sure I like Kim a lot but I don't think I love her. I mean I haven't even known her for that long. Plus, love is a joke, so there's no way I could love her. That's why it's important to get out while I can. Lets face it, if I keep seeing Kim then I'll grow attached. I won't be able to stop thinking about her big brown eyes, her long luscious hair that smells so good, or that smile that just- okay getting off topic, Jack. As I was saying, if I keep seeing Kim, then I probably _will_ fall in love with her. If I fall in love with her, then something is bound to go wrong. I mean she's only here for the summer! It'll be too hard to say goodbye if I fall in love with her. So, the best choice is to just stop seeing her. Sure, I'll miss her like crazy, but in the end it'll be worth it.

I sat there, sitting in a chair next to Pop's hospital bed, holding his hand. Kim was next to me. Nobody said anything. Pop was still asleep and I really didn't know what to say.

"Kim, do you mind if I have a minute alone with Pop?" I asked politely, breaking the silence between us.

She nodded and gave me a sympathetic smile before walking out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

I sighed. "Pop, I know you're sleeping and you can't hear me, but I'm torn right now and I don't know what to do. I think I should stop seeing Kim before I become too attached, but another part of me doesn't want to stop seeing her." I took a pause, as if waiting for a response that wouldn't come. "I know that you would tell me to do what my heart is telling me to do, and that's to keep seeing Kim, but my brain is telling me to stop hanging out with her before I get too attached." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

I got up and walked out of Pop's room. Kim was sitting in a row of chairs right outside of his room. She saw me and immediately stood up and walked towards me. She wrapped her arms around me and I hugged her.

"Are you okay?" She asked me, her cheek pressing against my chest.

"Yeah." I said. "I just really want him to wake up so I can talk to him."

She pulled her head away from my chest and looked up at me, keeping the closeness of our bodies.

I immediately got lost in her big, beautiful brown eyes. How am I supposed to stop seeing her when I can't stop thinking about her?

Not thinking about what I was doing, I reached up and brushed a strand of hair out of her face, and put it behind her ear.

The corners of her lips turned upward into a small smile.

_What are you doing, Jack?!_

We stood there for a few more seconds, just staring into each others eyes, neither one of us really knowing what to do next.

Her eyes flickered down to my lips, then back up to my eyes. I immediately felt my cheeks heat up. I wasn't really sure what to do, though. I had to admit, I've wanted to kiss Kim for a long time now, but if I do that, it'll be harder for me to go along with my plan.

**Kim Pov**

Jack and I stood there for a few seconds, just staring at each other.

_Is he going to kiss me? I really hope he's going to kiss me._

Then, I did something a little daring. I flickered my eyes down to his lips, then back to his eyes, trying to show him what I wanted. He seemed a little hesitant, but after a few seconds- which felt like hours- he did the same. I decided to be bold and started to lean in. I stopped for a second and looked at him one last time to make sure that he was okay with this, and when he started to lean in, I continued to, as well.

Our lips were getting closer and closer, and when they were only a few centimeters apart, I closed my eyes and waited for that magical moment to come.

However, it never came.

I opened my eyes and saw Jack's face still only inches from mine, but he had stopped leaning in. He opened his eyes and looked at me with an apologetic look on his face.

"I'm sorry." He said, barely a whisper. He pulled away from me slowly, and started backing up.

I was beyond confused.

"Jack, what-"

"I can't do this." He said before walking away.

What just happened?

**Jack Pov**

I can't believe I almost let myself kiss Kim. I just can't help it! She's so beautiful and enticing. It'll be hard to stay away from her.

I continued to walk around the hospital for a little while. I just needed some time to myself. How am I supposed to explain to Kim what I'm thinking?_ 'Oh hey Kim, sorry but I can't see you anymore because I'm afraid that I'll fall completely in love with you and I'm sure something terrible will happen and I'll end up getting my heart broken, so I think we shouldn't see each other anymore so that doesn't happen.'_

Wow I sound insane.

I sighed. Maybe I should go check up on Pop. What if he wakes up and I'm not there?

I turned around and headed back to Pop's hospital room.

**Kim Pov**

What just happened? One minute Jack is about to kiss me and the next he's walking away from me? I really thought he had feelings for me. Maybe he's just overwhelmed right now and just needs time to himself. Oh who am I kidding? No way he has feelings for me. He even told me straight to my face that he doesn't believe in love and that he'll never fall in love. Maybe I should just go talk to him.

**Jack Pov**

I sat on the couch next to the window, right by Pop's hospital bed. He was still sleeping soundly.

I decided to close my eyes and rest for a few minutes. I leaned back against the comfortable cushion and relaxed. However, my peaceful rest was interrupted by someone opening the door.

"Oh hey doc." I greeted him.

"Hello Jack. I was just wondering if you wanted to hear more about your grandfather's situation." He said.

I nodded eagerly.

"Well, we performed a routine bypass operation and it went very well. If everything goes okay, he should be out of here in 3-5 days. I'll give him some medication to take when he gets home and he should make a complete recovery in 4-6 weeks." He explained.

"Thanks a lot." I said appreciatively.

"No problem. Well, I'll leave you two alone now." He said and walked out of the room.

I looked over at Pop and saw that he was still sound asleep. Maybe I could just get a few more minutes of rest.

Those next few minutes were much needed. I completely relaxed and emptied my mind of all the negativity in my life. Unfortunately, my peaceful rest was interrupted yet again by the sound of the door opening.

It was Kim.

"Hey Jack, we need to talk." She demanded.

I nodded for her to continue.

**Kim Pov**

"Look Jack, I get it. I clearly misinterpreted your feelings towards me. I'm sorry that I assumed something that obviously wasn't true. You don't like me like that- I get it. I'm sorry about creating this whole situation between us."

"No, Kim you've got it all wrong. I do-"

"Jack stop trying to spare my feelings. I don't want to hear anymore."

"Kim I'm not-"

"Tell Charlie goodbye for me. When he wakes up, tell him I hope he's okay and that I hope he feels better soon. I'll come visit him when I can. I just really need to go back to Megan's. She'll kill me if I'm out any longer."

Jack nodded.

"I'll see you later, Jack." I said before walking out of the hospital room.

Jack looked like he was about to say something, but I walked out and shut the door before he had a chance.

I checked the time and realized that it was really late. Unfortunately, Jason was the one who brought me here, so I have no ride home. I dialed Megan's number and gave her a call, hoping she hadn't fallen asleep.

The phone rang for a few seconds, and just when I thought she wouldn't answer, she finally picked up.

"Kim?!" She said, with a mixture of relief and anger.

"Yeah..." I trailed off.

"Where the hell have you been? I've been calling you all night and you haven't answered! Do you know what time it is? I'm gonna kill you! I was worried sick!" She practically screamed at me.

"Megan, I'm sorry. I put my phone on silent while I was at dinner, so I didn't hear my phone ring. I'm so sorry." I explained.

She sighed in annoyance. "Where are you now?"

"The hospital. Can you-"

"The hospital?! Is everything alright? Are you okay? Is Jason there?" She bombarded me with questions.

"Megan, everything's fine. Jason went home a little while ago. I need you to come pick me up." I told her.

"Kim, yes ill come pick you up, but why are you at the hospital?" She asked.

I really didn't want to tell her about Jack.. What should I say? "I'll explain everything later. Just come get me." I pleaded.

"Okay, I'm on my way." She said and hung up the phone.

I sighed in relief. At least I had some time to think of an excuse as to why I was here.

I stood outside of the hospital, waiting for Megan to arrive. My mind just kept wandering back to Jack. Should I talk to him? Even though he doesn't have feelings for me, that doesn't mean we still can't be friends. I'll talk to him the next time I visit Charlie, which will probably be tomorrow or the following day.

I continued to think about Jack until I saw a familiar car pull up to the entrance. I ran to the passengers side and hopped in.

"Megan, I'm so sorry. Please don't be mad at me." I begged.

"Look, I'm too tired to talk about this right now. We'll talk about it in the morning, kay?" She said.

I nodded and we drove off. The ride home was quiet. As soon as we pulled into the driveway, we hopped out of the car and walked inside, heading to our bedrooms, too tired to say anything.

Without changing or doing anything else, I flopped onto my bed and fell into a much needed sleep.

**So I hope you guys liked this chapter! I actually researched what the doctor told Jack and I found that info online so sorry if it's not right. Anyways, I don't really know when I'll update again. I've had a few ideas for the next chapter but I haven't really put anything together yet, so it could be a few days until I update again.**

**Okay so I have 294 reviews so I'll update at 305. That's 11 reviews! I know you guys can so that no problem :) well, stay stunted for the next chapter!**

**PS Do you guys want me to give the chapters names? I'm kinda tired of having them labeled "Chapter _". Just tell me in the reviews!**


	15. Chapter 14

**I'm baaaack! I am so sorry for completely disappearing for the second time during this story. It's just that with school starting, sports, clubs, and work, I had a lot on my plate. Plus I'm taking some tough classes and the homework takes forever! Anyways, I'll explain the rest after this! Enjoy!**

**Kim Pov**

I woke up the next morning, completely exhausted. I barely got any sleep last night and now I have to go talk to Megan about why I was at the hospital so late and why Jason left me there "alone." I still hadn't come up with an excuse to tell Megan and I was beginning to think I would just have to come clean. How would she react?

Realizing that I hadn't showered last night, I hopped out of bed to quickly wash my hair. Plus, being alone in the shower gave me time to think of an excuse to tell Megan.

After waiting for the water to warm up, I stepped in the shower and began to shampoo my hair. My mind was buzzing with possibilities for a convincing excuse to tell Megan. I had to come up with a believable injury that wouldn't be very serious and that you wouldn't be able to see by looking at me.

Then it hit me.

I knew exactly what I was going to tell Megan. The only obstacle in my plan was that I had to use my best acting ability- which isn't very skillful- and make the story as authentic as I could.

I promptly finished my shower, dried off with a nearby towel hanging on the towel rack, and threw on my pink bathrobe. After brushing out my tangled hair, I decided to see if Megan was in the living room, so I

could explain what happened last night.

I walked into the living room and noticed Megan sitting in a recliner, watching TV.

"Hey Megs." I said casually.

"Hey kid." She greeted me. "So you wanna tell me about last night?"

I gulped. What if she knows I'm lying? I nonchalantly walked over to the couch and took a seat.

"Megan, it's not a big deal, really." I said.

She didn't say anything; she just nodded for me to continue.

"Well, Jason and I were at the restaurant and I got up to use the bathroom. On my way to the bathroom, I didn't pay attention to the wet floor sign on the tile, so I slipped and fell. I guess I hit my head pretty hard, because I woke up with a bunch of people around me- I guess I blacked out. So, Jason took me to the hospital and it turns out I got a concussion. It was a really long wait until I got to see a doctor, so I told Jason to go home and that I would find a ride." I explained.

That was believable, right?

Megan stared at me for what felt like hours, probably trying to determine if my story was true or not, before she finally spoke. "Well, I'm just glad you're okay." She said and turned her attention back to the TV.

I gave a small sigh of relief, glad that she believed my story.

"Thanks. So are you working today?" I asked, wanting to change the topic of our conversation.

She returned her attention back to me. "No, Grace and I are gonna get our nails done and have a girls day. Wanna come?" She asked.

Well, I was going to go to the hospital and check on Jack and Charlie, but after the way I left things with Jack, it'll probably just be awkward.

After pondering about it for a few more seconds, I agreed.

"Great! We have an appointment to get our nails done at 1:00 and we'll probably get a bite to eat after that, okay?" She said.

I looked at the clock. It was already noon. I guess staying at the hospital all night really threw off my sleeping schedule.

"Okay, sounds good." I said.

We would probably be leaving the house at 12:45, since we had to pick up Grace, so I decided to start getting ready.

First, I threw on some beige shorts, a pink tank top that flowed out, and some Michael Kors sandals. After I finished getting dressed, I applied some light make up and straightened my hair.

Before I knew it, it was 12:45 and we were heading out the door to pick up Grace.

Grace's house wasn't too far away, considering it was a small town and everything was fairly close to each other. I stayed in the passengers seat and Grace got in the backseat.

"Hey Megan! Oh- hey Kim, I didn't know you were coming!" Grace said excitedly.

"Yep!" I replied.

"Oh my gosh, Megs, I was out shopping yesterday and I saw the cutest pair of shoes!" Grace said happily. She began to tell Megan about her amazing shopping adventure while I looked out the window and zoned out.

My thoughts drifted to Jack and his grandfather. Is Charlie awake? Will Jack be disappointed of I don't come see how Charlie's doing? What will Charlie think? These were a few of the many questions engulfing my mind.

Why did I say yes to a girls day anyways? I mean, sure I needed some time to get my thoughts away from Jack, but nothing was really helping that problem. No matter what Grace and Megan started talking about or what I tried to do to occupy myself, my thoughts just kept drifted back to Jack and Charlie.

So there I sat, in Megan's car wondering... I wonder what Jack's doing right now...

**Jack Pov**

I've been at the hospital with Pop all night and all morning. Before I knew it, noon rolled around and the nurse brought Pop some lunch. I sat on the couch by the window while Pop laid in bed and watched TV.

"So... Is Kim gonna come visit today?" He asked me as he turned his attention away from the TV.

I sighed. "I honestly don't know, Pop. After the way I left things with her last night, I don't think she'll want to see me again." I said disappointedly.

"Look Jack, if you have feelings for this girl, then tell her. Don't run away from a serious relationship just because you don't think it'll work out." He explained. "I have never seen you with anybody- besides your parents- that made you this happy. You know what I think? I say you take the risk of getting hurt, and you go out there and get your girl." He finished.

The mention of my parents brought a nauseas feeling to my stomach. "I guess you're right, Pop." I told him.

He chuckled. "Of course I'm right! Have you ever known your Pop to be wrong?" He questioned.

I shook my head and flashed a small smile.

"Well, what are you waitin for? Go get her!" My Pop encouraged me.

"No way am I leaving you here by yourself. You need company. I'll talk to Kim later, I promise."

**Kim Pov**

Megan, Grace, and I were sitting in the nail salon, getting pedicures.

"So Kim, how was your date with Jason last night?" Grace asked eagerly.

"It was fine." I said as convincing as I could.

"Oh don't lie, Kim." Megan said to me, then turned to Grace. "She ended up falling and getting a concussion, so they had to go to the hospital. Don't worry though, it's not serious." Megan explained.

I got a queasy feeling in my stomach, knowing that I had deliberately lied to Megan.

"Aw, that stinks." Grace said. "Was the date at least fun before you hit your head?" She asked.

I avoided eye contact and twiddled my thumbs. "Yeah. He took me to a really nice Italian place." I said.

Megan and Grace looked at each other. "Ooooh." They said with smiles on their faces.

"So Kim, are you gonna go out with him again?" Grace asked excitedly.

"Well, I don't know. I feel kinda bad that we didn't finish our last date... So maybe." I said honestly.

Don't get me wrong, I have no interest what-so-ever in Jason, but I had agreed to a date with him and last night wasn't exactly a date because of what had happened.

Megan squealed. "Seriously, you and Jason would make the cutest couple!"

I thought about it. If Jack wasn't going to make a move, then maybe Jason would be the better choice. I mean I know I don't really like him right now, but maybe I just need to get to know him better.

I nodded. "Maybe."

"Just promise me that when you two get married, I get to be the maid of honor." Megan joked.

"Ha, yeah okay." I said sarcastically.

We sat in the nail salon for another half hour or so before our nails were finished.

"So do you guys wanna go to lunch?" Megan asked.

Grace and I nodded. We paid for our mani-pedis and hopped back in Megan's car. This time Grace sat in the passenger seat and I sat in the back while Megan drove.

"So... Wanna go to the Crab Shack? We've never been there before and I want to try something different." Megan said while she exchanged a mischievous smile with Grace.

"Sure.." I agreed. I had no idea what was going on with them, but I didn't really care at this point.

About 10 minutes later we arrived at the restaurant. It looked pretty busy so it must be good.

We walked inside and the place was swarming with customers.

"Table for 3, please." Megan told me hostess.

"I'm sorry, but it'll be a 30 minute wait. You're welcome to have a seat and wait until then." She said nicely while pointing to some chairs by the wall where several other customers were sitting.

"Okay that's fine." Megan said.

"Name please?"

"Megan."

"Okay, Megan. We'll call you when your tables ready." The hostess said.

The three of us sat against the wall and waited. Suddenly, a tall boy with blonde hair and brown eyes walked out of the dining part of the restaurant and came into view. Probably the last person I wanted to see right now.

"Oh hey Kim!" The boy said.

"Hey Jason." I replied.

"Look, I'm sorry our date didn't go too well last night. What do you say to a redo date?" He said smoothly,

I glanced over at Megan and Grace who had happy looks on their faces; they were smiling and nodding towards me.

I sighed quietly and turned my attention back to Jason. If Jack doesn't want to date me, then I guess I'll just have to find someone else.

"I'd love to." I told him.

He smiled wide. "Great! See you tomorrow night?"

I nodded.

"Sweet!" He said and kissed my cheek.

**Okay so I really didn't know where to end it cause I haven't even looked at this story for a while, so I thought that would be a good spot. Anyways, I know exactly how I'm gonna end this story, but I just need to finish writing the middle part. I think you guys are going to love the ending! Okay so 1) sorry for any grammatical errors. I didn't plan on updating tonight! It just kinda happened. I wanted to post it ASAP since I kept you guys waiting for so long. 2) I won't be updating as frequently, but I'll try to update at least once or twice a week. It's just that I leave for school at 7:30 and don't get home till 8, plus I work for a while on weekends, so there's really no time to update. But don't worry, I'll try really hard to keep updating! 3) We're at 323 so I guess I'll update at 330! I'm not asking for much since I made you guys wait so long! **

**Okay so I think that's all I needed to say. I might post an AN as a chapter if I forgot to say something important. Anyways, that's the end of my long authors note! Please review!**


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